New Malaria Vaccine Study Marks Milestone in Global Health

Results of a clinial trial released Tuesday revealed groundbreaking success in developing a vaccine for one of the world's deadliest diseases.

Thousands of African children suffer from malaria each year. (Courtesy Jordan Foxworthy)

Malaria, which kills 80,000 people each year, could be on its way to being controlled and eradicated in as little as three years. The developing vaccine named RTS,S has a 50 percent success rate in the 15,000 children tested in seven African countries.

A Seattle conference revealed the initial results of the phase 3 trial which focused on children five to 17 months old. Test results of six to 12-week-old infants will be released later this year.

The vaccine is being developed by pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline and the PATH Malaria Vacccine Initiative which receives funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

"Scientists have been working to develop a malaria vaccine for 40 years, and these findings show that we are on track in the development of a vaccine for African children, those who need it most," said Dr. Mary Hamel of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Development has been underway for decades because the vaccine is made to combat a parasite, a much more complicated organism than a virus or bacterium.

Though these early results show promise in this field of medicine, it may take three or more years before the vaccine can be accessed by the public. Further testing will be done to show effects on younger infants and how long protection lasts. Government approval may also prove to be a lengthy process.

If and when the vaccine will be put on the market, Glaxo CEO Andrew Witty pledged that costs will be kept low with profts being reinvested into further research and development.

Jordan Foxworthy, who filmed a documentary in Africa about malaria in rural communities said the announcement of the developing vaccine seemed "out of the blue" but said "seeing how bad it is over there, the hope that one day this could completely be eradicated is awesome."