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.

What is Malaria?

Malaria History

Malaria Treatment

Malaria Causes

World Malaria Day 2021: Finding new approaches to fight malaria

Malaria: A Force Shaping Blood Cell Evolution?

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

Malaria Diagnosis

Malaria Epidemiology

Malaria Mechanism

Malaria Symptoms

See more featured articles »

The Science Behind Why Mosquitoes Prefer to Bite Certain People

What is Cerebral Malaria?

Driving the Self-Destruction of Malaria-Transmitting Mosquitos

World Malaria Day 2021: An interview with Sir Brian Greenwood

Malaria Society And Culture

Malaria Prevention

Latest Malaria News and Research

New class of insecticide offers yearlong protection against mosquito-borne diseases

A relatively new class of insecticide that can be disseminated on something the size of a sheet of paper offers protection for up to a year against mosquitoes that spread malaria, as well as dengue, West Nile, yellow fever, and Zika, UC San Francisco researchers have found.

26 Aug 2025

Mitochondria fight infection by starving parasites of essential nutrients

You've heard that mitochondria are the "powerhouse of the cell." Now get ready for "mitochondria are the infantry of the cell!"

26 Aug 2025

Researchers find plasma donors with broad malaria protection

Malaria, caused by Plasmodium falciparum, remains a major global health threat, claiming 600,000 lives annually, mostly young children in sub-Saharan Africa. Immunity to severe malaria develops after repeated infections and is mediated by antibodies blocking the parasite's highly diversified PfEMP1 adhesion proteins from binding to the human endothelial protein C receptor (EPCR) on blood vessel walls.

19 Aug 2025

Researchers boost effectiveness of malaria drug by tweaking its symmetry

A new generation of malaria drugs failed clinical trials, in part because they were hard to swallow. UCSF chemists remodeled their structures to make them more soluble, while maintaining their effectiveness against drug-resistant parasites.

11 Aug 2025

Drug turns human blood into a mosquito killer

A drug that makes human blood lethal to mosquitoes also acts as a potent contact insecticide absorbed through the feet, providing a promising new approach to combating insecticide resistance.

7 Aug 2025

New network launched to tackle malaria in African school children

A new network aims to improve malaria prevention among school-aged children in sub-Saharan Africa.

7 Aug 2025

Australian researchers uncover new target for next-generation malaria vaccines

Australian researchers have visualized a key protein complex in malaria parasites for the first time, uncovering a new target for next-generation vaccines that could help stop the disease from spreading.

6 Aug 2025

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