Malaria

Malaria is a mosquito-borne disease caused by a parasite called Plasmodium. When infected mosquitoes bite the human body, the parasites multiply in the liver and then infect red blood cells. Even though this potentially fatal disease can be prevented and cured, each year 350-500 million cases of malaria still occur worldwide, and over one million people die.

The Effect of Climate Change on Malaria

In commemoration of World Malaria Day, 2021, we look at the relationship between malaria transmission and climate change.

Malaria: A Force Shaping Blood Cell Evolution?

Malaria Epidemiology

Malaria Treatment

What is Cerebral Malaria?

Malaria Mechanism

Malaria Society And Culture

World Malaria Day 2021: Finding new approaches to fight malaria

Fighting malaria in 2021: Where are we now and where are we going?

Malaria Diagnosis

Malaria History

What is Malaria?

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Malaria Symptoms

The Science Behind Why Mosquitoes Prefer to Bite Certain People

Malaria Causes

World Malaria Day 2021: An interview with Sir Brian Greenwood

Malaria Prevention

Driving the Self-Destruction of Malaria-Transmitting Mosquitos

Latest Malaria News and Research

Experts call for stricter rules on plastic to protect human health

With the latest round of negotiations to finalize a United Nations global plastics treaty set to begin, a group of international researchers, writing in the most recent edition of The Lancet, have called for greater vigilance and regulation to curb the health impacts of plastic pollution and have announced a new project to track these impacts.

4 Aug 2025

Single injection of gene therapy at birth may offer lasting protection against HIV

A new study in Nature shows that delivering a single injection of gene therapy at birth may offer years-long protection against HIV, tapping into a critical window in early life that could reshape the fight against pediatric infections in high-risk regions.

30 Jul 2025

Gene-edited mosquitoes slash malaria spread 93% using self-propagating shield

Scientists engineered a naturally occurring genetic variant (Q224) in Anopheles stephensi mosquitoes, making them highly resistant to malaria parasites without affecting fitness. A novel gene-drive system rapidly spread this protective trait through lab mosquito populations, offering a potential breakthrough for malaria control.

24 Jul 2025

Timor-Leste achieves historic malaria-free status

The World Health Organization (WHO) has certified Timor-Leste as malaria-free, a remarkable achievement for a country that prioritized the disease and embarked on a concerted, nation-wide response shortly after gaining independence in 2002.

24 Jul 2025

Penn State team investigates the neural basis of nightmares and mental health

Dreams, and likely nightmares, are experienced universally across humans and animals, but neuroscientists still do not know why.

24 Jul 2025

Ivermectin mass treatment shows great promise in reducing malaria transmission

Ivermectin administered to the whole population significantly reduces malaria transmission, offering new hope in the fight against the disease.

24 Jul 2025

New method genetically blocks mosquitoes from transmitting malaria

Mosquitoes kill more people each year than any other animal. In 2023, the blood-sucking insects infected a reported 263 million people with malaria, leading to nearly 600,000 deaths, 80% of which were children.

23 Jul 2025

Climate disasters threaten malaria control efforts in high-burden regions

Tropical cyclones in Madagascar lead to sharp spikes in malaria infections – particularly in children – due to interruptions in control efforts, according to a new study.

17 Jul 2025

Study: Millions worldwide still lack access to essential surgical care

Progress towards universal access to safe, affordable surgical care is dangerously off track as at least 160 million patients each year are unable to receive surgery - with Low- and Middle-income Countries (LMICs) bearing the brunt of the crisis, a new study reveals.

15 Jul 2025

Protein signatures may help predict malaria severity and guide treatment

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have identified over 250 proteins that are strongly affected by malaria, which could help predict the severity of the disease and thus enable faster treatment for the most critical patients.

14 Jul 2025

New microchip tracks antibody-virus interactions from a single drop of blood

A new microchip invented by Scripps Research scientists can reveal how a person's antibodies interact with viruses-using just a drop of blood.

12 Jul 2025

Malaria eradication in Suriname offers hope for Amazon neighbors

The declaration of Suriname as the first malaria-free Amazonian country by the World Health Organization should spur other countries in the region affected by illegal mining and high migration, say disease specialists.

9 Jul 2025

Mediterranean bacteria show promise as new mosquito biopesticides

Mosquito-borne diseases kill more than 700,000 people every year, according to the World Health Organization, and the mosquitos that spread the disease are difficult to control.

7 Jul 2025

AI transforms healthcare for faster, smarter care in emergency crises

AI technologies are transforming humanitarian healthcare, enhancing crisis response with improved decision-making, resource allocation, and timely aid delivery.

4 Jul 2025

Covid-19 impact extends beyond virus with increased deaths from other conditions

Disrupted care during the covid-19 pandemic led to sharp increases in other non-covid causes of illness and death, particularly mental health disorders, malaria in young children, and stroke and heart disease in older adults, finds a study published by The BMJ today.

3 Jul 2025

Targeting RAP proteins for next-generation malaria treatments

A University of California, Riverside-led team has made an advance in the basic understanding of Plasmodium falciparum, the parasite responsible for the deadliest form of human malaria, that could make novel, highly targeted anti-malarial therapies possible.

1 Jul 2025

USAID funding cuts could cost millions of lives worldwide, study warns

A new study published in The Lancet has raised urgent concerns about the global health consequences of recent cuts to U.S. foreign aid.

1 Jul 2025

Researchers uncover how bacteria hijack tick cells to survive and spread

Washington State University researchers have discovered how the bacteria that cause anaplasmosis and Lyme disease hijack cellular processes in ticks to ensure their survival and spread to new hosts, including humans.

1 Jul 2025

WHO certifies Suriname as malaria free after decades of efforts

Today, Suriname became the first country in the Amazon region to receive malaria-free certification from the World Health Organization (WHO). This historic milestone follows nearly 70 years of commitment by the government and people of Suriname to eliminate the disease across its vast rainforests and diverse communities.

30 Jun 2025

Pesticides found to disrupt specific gut bacteria linked to inflammation

While emerging evidence suggests pesticides can be toxic to the mix of microorganisms in the digestive system, a new study is the first to map changes to specific gut bacteria based on interactions between human microbes and insect-killing chemicals observed in the lab and an animal model.

27 Jun 2025