Last week, there was a glimmer of hope for everyone that suffers from malaria: the world's first-ever malaria vaccine received a green light from European authorities. While we aren't out of the woods yet, this is a positive step toward eliminating this deadly foe. While RTS,S, does provide hope for a tomorrow without malaria, we cannot be lulled into complacency -- this is not a panacea for malaria.
The sad truth about malaria is that it continues to be one of the most deadly conditions in the world. In 2013, 128 million people contracted malaria, of whom more than half a million died. 1.2 billion people remain at high risk of contracting the infection. Every minute a person dies from malaria, and by the time you are finished reading this piece, nearly three people will have succumbed to the parasite.
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