Malaria transmission blocking vaccines: an ideal public good

Overview

Malaria vaccines could be one of the most cost-effective interventions to reduce the enormous burden of disease in the poorest countries of the world. These vaccines are likely to have different components that protect in different ways (see Figure). Liver stage vaccines will reduce the chances of a person becoming infected. A sexual blood stage vaccines will reduce disease severity and risk of death during infection. A transmission-blocking vaccine will target the sexual stage of the parasite and prevent the spread of malaria through the community; such a vaccine would have the potential to reduce the burden of disease and death from malaria, including in parts of the world’s most malarious continent, Africa. In Asia and Latin America, it could help lead to the elimination of the malaria parasite. The inclusion of a transmission-blocking vaccine would also greatly prolong the useful life of vaccines against other stages by preventing the spread of parasites that become resistant to these vaccines.