Scientists at Oxford University have developed a new malaria vaccine with “world-changing” potential. They expect to roll out the vaccine called R21 next year, after trials showed up to 80% protection against the disease.

This is a significant development, as their vaccine is cheap and they have procured a deal with the Serum Institute of India to manufacture over 100 million doses a year. The charity Malaria No More says that the recent progress means children dying from malaria could end “in our lifetimes.”

The World Health Organisation gave the go-ahead last year for the first malaria vaccine, developed by the pharmaceutical giant GSK, to be used in Africa. However, the team at Oxford University claims that their approach is more effective and can also be manufactured on a far greater scale.

“We really could be looking at a very substantial reduction in that horrendous burden of malaria,” said Professor Hill, as the new vaccine can be made for just a few dollars. “We hope that this will be deployed and available and saving lives certainly by the end of next year,” he added.

Every year, there are approximately 229 million cases of malaria, 94% of which are in Africa, according to the WHO. The deadly disease kills about 409,000 people each year worldwide, mostly babies and infants.

Image from BBC