Progress and Challenges towards the Development of Malaria Vaccines

The promise afforded by attenuated sporozoite vaccines in the 1970s led many researchers to believe that an efficacious malaria vaccine was an attainable medium-term goal. Over 30 years later, no licensed vaccine is currently available for public health intervention. This is despite global expenditure on research and development for malaria vaccines that is estimated to have increased from $US42 million in 1999 to $US84 million in 2004. Serious questions must therefore be asked: is this a good investment of research and public health funds, and are we really any nearer to producing a viable product for global use?