The Immunology of Malaria: А Review

Abstract

Plasmodium falciparum malaria is still very much regarded as a global health challenge recording morbidity close to half a million annually. Special attention has been given to Plasmodium due to this high rate of morbidity. The steps taken towards control have produced a considerable result. Some of these steps are aimed at controlling the vector hosting P. falciparum or a nib in the bud during the several stages of P. falciparum invasion in humans. These controls include effective antimalarials, the use of insecticide-treated nets (ITNs), indoor residual spraying (IRS) campaign, and vaccine. Several vaccines have been tested but none came close in success to the recent vaccine (RTS, S/AS01) which was approved for pilot implementa¬tion program in three African countries in 2015. However, despite the success recorded, this vaccine has its limitations, which include low efficacy in certain age groups, poor immunogenicity, and the need for sev¬eral booster doses to achieve reasonable effectiveness. With this in mind, an intentional search for a more effective vaccine is still ongoing and an understanding of naturally acquired immune responses would help in vaccine design. This review put together what is currently known about P. falciparum and the immune responses against malaria.