Malaria Vaccine Initiative works to provide hope for saving the lives of one-third of the world's population

Fatima awoke to the loud and insistent cries of her daughter Alma, coming from the next room. She rushed to her daughter’s bedside and found Alma crouched in the fetal position, drenched in sweat. She cradled Alma close to her breast to feel her temperature, then rushed to the village doctor carrying Alma in her arms. Crying and praying, she begged for help, but it was too late. Malaria, a disease spread by a tiny insect, took Alma’s life before her fourth birthday.

Alma is one of the estimated million or more African children younger than five years old who die from malaria every year. Malaria places more than one-third of the world’s population at risk; as many as 500 million cases occur every year. Currently effective antimalarial interventions are not used widely enough, and some have become less effective as the mosquito and malaria parasite develop resistance to widely used insecticides and drugs. The PATH Malaria Vaccine Initiative is playing a pivotal role in demonstrating that development of an effective malaraia vaccine is not only possible but likely.

The PATH MVI works to overcome barriers to malaria vaccine development, achieve breakthroughs in the science of malaria vaccines, and pave the way to licensing a vaccine. MVI’s mission is to accelerate the development of promising malaria vaccines and ensure their availability and accessibility in the developing world. Through effective application of human, financial, and technical resources, MVI helps move vaccines from the laboratory into clinical development efficiently and quickly, supporting product development efforts and expediting the global flow of information. MVI has established 11 vaccine development partnerships.

As of May 2005, MVI was supporting 13 vaccine constructs, 5 of which have entered human clinical trials, and had supported 21 vaccine trials, in Africa, Europe, and the United States. Each project provides valuable data about which concepts work and the interaction between the vaccine, the parasite, and the host.  As a result, more and better malaria vaccine candidates are moving into clinical trials today than ever before. In October 2004, MVI and its partners at GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) Biologicals, Centro de Investigação em Saude da Manhiça, and the Mozambique Ministry of Health reported the results of the largest malaria vaccine efficacy trial ever conducted in children in Africa which showed the vaccine provided significant protection against uncomplicated malaria, against infection, and even against severe forms of the disease for at least six months—a breakthrough in malaria vaccine development. MVI has conducted an early-stage assessment of malaria vaccine demand, is collecting key data to feed into appropriate decision-making mechanisms, and is working with partners who have the scientific expertise and commitment to manufacture and license a malaria vaccine.

PATH is an international, nonprofit organization that creates sustainable, culturally relevant solutions, enabling communities worldwide to break longstanding cycles of poor health. PATH has approximately 500 staff members and 24 offices in 14 countries: Cambodia, China, France, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Nicaragua, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Thailand, Ukraine, Vietnam, and the United States, and works in more than 65 countries. PATH collaborates with the World Health Organization, UNICEF, UNFPA, government ministries, other nongovernmental organizations, foundations, and local groups in the communities it serves, and forms unique agreements with the private sector to ensure its technologies and strategies are available where needed.

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