Malaria is the world’s most deadly parasitic disease, killing over half a million people every year.
Transmitted by female Anopheles mosquitoes, it remains very common in tropical areas of Africa and Asia, where young children and pregnant women are at the greatest risk. Malaria control is hampered by drug resistance, and the first recently developed malaria vaccine offers only partial protection.
The Doherty Institute's expertise
Doherty Institute researchers are studying how cells of the immune system respond to malaria parasites in humans and in mice, yielding findings that will contribute to improving future malaria vaccines. Working in partnership with researchers in malaria-endemic countries, including Malawi and Papua New Guinea, they are studying prevention of malaria, and discovering how pregnant women and young children develop protective immunity against malaria. The aim of the Doherty Institute’s researchers is to contribute to the global effort to control and eliminate malaria once and for all.
The Doherty Institute also includes state-level facilities for diagnosis of malaria in Victorians who have acquired the disease overseas, and is home to clinical experts in diagnosis, treatment and prevention.
