A Review on Malaria Vaccination: Advances, Challenges, and Future Perspectives

Abstract

Malaria remains one of the most devastating infectious diseases worldwide, posing a major threat to public health, particularly in tropical and subtropical regions. Despite decades of intensive control measures such as vector management and chemotherapeutic interventions, the persistent transmission of Plasmodium species, especially P. falciparum and P. vivax, underscores the urgent need for an effective and durable vaccine. Significant progress has been achieved in malaria vaccinology with the development and deployment of RTS, S/AS01 (Mosquirix) and R21/Matrix-M, marking a breakthrough in global malaria prevention strategies. These vaccines primarily target the pre-erythrocytic stage, eliciting immune responses that limit parasite invasion of hepatocytes. However, challenges such as limited duration of protection, antigenic diversity, and the complex lifecycle of Plasmodium continue to hinder universal efficacy. Ongoing research is focused on multistage, multivalent, and next-generation vaccine platforms, including mRNA-based and nanoparticle formulations, to enhance immune durability and cross-species protection. This review comprehensively discusses the immunobiology of malaria, current vaccine developments, adjuvant technologies, implementation challenges, and the future directions essential to achieving sustainable malaria eradication.