In the 1700s, a Scottish doctor, George Cleghorn, discovered that quinine could be used to treat Malaria, which was ravaging British soldiers stationed in India. The substance was then a vital part of tonic water, and the discovery led soldiers to drink it by the gallons. With tonic water being quite bitter, and with a need for some alcohol to ease the pain of war, soldiers began adding gin, which was the only drink they could find in the country. Lemon slices were then added to balance out the taste, and one of the most consumed drinks on earth was invented.

After thousands of years on the planet, and a famous drink to be held accountable for, Malaria is still here, and although most of the world does not have to deal with its effects, it is extremely prevalent. Sub-Saharan Africa remains the main location for cases worldwide with 229 million reported Malaria cases, which represent 94% of the global burden of the disease.

After decades of research, last week, Malaria Day 2021 was marked around the world with exciting news of a new Oxford-made vaccine that was deemed 77% effective, a landmark achievement, as the WHO’s target efficacy for malaria vaccines is over 75%, and has never been reached. But like every other vaccine story (Covid19 excluded), it might take years to get the jab out to the field, and millions of Africans face a somber reality, one that could very well be prevented with the right investment and proper attention.

A vaccine’s tale

As we all know by now, the Covid-19 vaccine was invented, tried, and approved for use across the world in under a year, setting an unprecedented record. As other famous vaccines were previously processed over decades, the mumps jab owns the previous record of 4 years.

Creating a vaccine takes a (very) long time. After trial vaccines are tested on experimental animals, they go through three phases of human testing. In phase 1 a few healthy volunteers receive the vaccine, testing for safety and giving a rough idea of how much vaccine is needed. In Phase 2 the more proper amount is given to a larger group. And then comes the detrimental phase 3, where a much larger group and compared with an unvaccinated control group, to see whether it really prevents disease. This Phase 3 trial is the most time-consuming step in testing, because researchers have to wait for enough participants to be exposed to a virus naturally.

So how did the Covid19 vaccine break every record known to man? It was a combination of prior knowledge of the virus type (with SARS and MERS), endless funds that poured in from governments and private investors, a vast human response that included thousands of volunteers, and an unprecedented regulatory effort that accelerated processes that often take years. Covid is definitely worth the efforts, as it paralyzed the entire world for a year, with many countries currently experiencing an even greater debacle than the one entailed by the first and second waves; But when zooming in on Africa, a different vaccine could prove way more meaningful.

Zero-Malaria within reach?

With all due respect to Covid, when we objectively examine the numbers, Malaria is the one to be put on the catastrophic padistol. While Covid caused 3.19 million mortalities to date, Malaria has been around since the dawn of humankind, and in the 20th century alone, claimed between 150 million and 300 million lives, accounting for 2 to 5 percent of all deaths. According to UNICEF, since 2001 the numbers have been quite steady, as 400,000-500,000 people die from malaria each year, mostly children under five, with 94 percent of cases occurring in Sub-Saharan Africa. An estimated 300-600 million people suffer from malaria each year and more than 40 percent of the world’s population lives in malaria-risk areas.

Now, the new Oxford Malaria vaccine is here, and the precedent set by Covid shines an absurd light on the process we once knew. "What we’re banging the table about is, why does a Covid vaccine get emergency use authorization in weeks in Africa when we, with [a] much greater period of data, go through the normal channels”? Adrian Hill, director of the Jenner Institute in Oxford told The Sunday Times. "We don’t want to spend five years getting this licensed while at least one and a half million African kids die.”

Hill raises an important issue that must be faced and answered by the global community and by local entities. As sub-Saharan Africa remains the last frontier of the Malaria battle, it might not be as interesting or as urgent to other countries or institutes.

A call to action

According to the WHO’s latest World Malaria report, progress against malaria continues to plateau, as gaps in access to life-saving tools are undermining global efforts to curb the disease, and the Covid-19 pandemic is expected to set back the fight even further.

"It is time for leaders across Africa – and the world – to rise once again to the challenge of malaria, just as they did when they laid the foundation for the progress made since the beginning of this century,” said WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. "Through joint action, and a commitment to leaving no one behind, we can achieve our shared vision of a world free of malaria.”

For some action inspiration, we can look back to the beginning of the century. In 2000, African leaders signed the landmark Abuja Declaration, pledging to reduce malaria deaths on the continent by 50% over a 10-year period. The pledge produced robust political commitment, together with innovations in new tools and a steep increase in funding, all catalysing an unprecedented period of success in global malaria control. According to the WHO, 1.5 billion malaria cases and 7.6 million deaths have been averted since 2000.

Now, global attention is set on Covid. According to research done by the Gates Foundation, Covid-19-related disruption could almost double malaria mortality in the next year, and potentially lead to even greater increases in subsequent years.

As two decades of progress are in extreme jeopardy, Malaria must remain a priority, and funding, both on international and domestic levels, is more crucial than ever. In 2019, total funding reached US $3 billion against a global target of $5.6 billion, and 2020 numbers are much lower. This ever-existing pandemic should get the attention, efforts, and funds of the global community, and the new vaccine development must be given the same, if not more benefits that were given to the Covid vaccine. It’s a matter of life or death for millions.

The writer is an entrepreneur and investor,leading sustainability-driven companies in Africa and the Middle East