UK backs one in five malaria tools in development - as campaigners warn “malaria science superpower” status must be maintained

PRESS RELEASE – UNDER EMBARGO 00.01, SATURDAY 25 APRIL BST

New research shows UK institutions are involved in R&D for 20% of malaria tools currently in the pipeline – the third highest of any country
UK leadership is particularly strong on vaccines with one third in pipeline having UK involvement – the second highest of any country
Campaigners highlight health security benefits to the UK and call on certainty from government on future of nation’s leadership on malaria science

For the first time, new research shows institutions based in the United Kingdom are involved in research and development (R&D) for 20% of drugs, vaccines and vector control products to fight malaria as of 2025 – the third highest in the world. The UK’s contribution to malaria vaccines and drugs is particularly high with the country involved in nearly a third (31%) of all vaccines in the pipeline (the second highest in the world) and nearly a quarter (23.2%) of all drugs.

Published on World Malaria Day, this comes as the fight against the disease faces a “perfect storm” of challenges including mosquito resistance to existing tools, cuts to global health funding, disruptions to public health from the rise in conflict and extreme weather events.

Malaria No More UK, working in partnership with Impact Global Health, are calling on the UK government to sustain investment in malaria R&D to maintain its role as a “malaria science superpower”. Specifically, the charity is calling on the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) to maintain spending on malaria R&D as part of its ‘Global Research and Technology Development’ funding portfolio.

This represents the FCDO’s science, technology and innovation investments into research and development to tackle challenges, in collaboration with international universities, institutions and the private sector.  This comes following cuts to global health funding in 2025 which, whilst not accounted for in the research which runs up to and including 2025, are expected to have weakened global health R&D market confidence. For example, last year’s cuts to major bodies who distribute key malaria tools, like The Global Fund and Gavi, will have made some developers more cautious about investing in malaria R&D as budgets shrink for prospective buyers of their products.

Malaria No More UK are saying the UK “should be proud of its legacy of leadership” on malaria science and highlight the security, health and economic benefits it brings to people in the UK, as well as saving lives around the world. This is supported by new analysis which shows that the UK has consistently been the second-highest country funder of malaria R&D for nearly two decades (2007-2024) with 57% of the UK’s spend on this in 2024 going to UK-based institutions, helping to create jobs and drive economic growth as well as save lives around the world.

Malaria R&D has also created a positive ‘ripple effect’ on the UK’s domestic health system. For example, research into a malaria vaccine helped produce a vaccine for shingles, which is now widely used across high-income countries including the UK and is projected to prevent nearly 32 million cases globally by 2050.

Gareth Jenkins, Managing Director of Malaria No More UK, said: “The UK has a strong legacy of leadership when it comes to malaria science, working closely with partners in malaria-endemic countries.

“This is something we should all be proud of in this country as it has contributed to saving many lives around the world as well as improving the health security of people here in the UK and boosting economic growth.

“As we face a perfect storm of challenges in the fight against malaria, we are calling on the government to maintain our position as a malaria science superpower. This is one of the best things we can do to help protect against a potential resurgence in the disease which would have dire consequences for people right around the world.”

Dr Nick Chapman, Chief Executive Officer of Impact Global Health, said: “The UK has long been known as a pioneer on malaria science but this is the first time the extent of its footprint on the pipeline can be revealed as we see a significant contribution across the board, but particularly on vaccines where it ranks only behind the US.

“This can be attributed to years of forward-thinking decision-making from the UK government to continue fostering the country’s network of world-class universities, research institutes, pharmaceutical and biotech companies.

“A possible resurgence in this disease will devastate malaria endemic countries and send shockwaves around the world. So the best thing the government can do to save lives and bolster security is to continue to support world-leading malaria research and double down on its leadership in this area.”

ENDS

Notes to Editors

Contacts

Contact Louie Freeman-Bassett at Malaria No More UK on louie.freeman-bassett@malarianomore.org.uk or +447748102192
Malaria No More UK are a UK-based advocacy organisation aiming to encourage UK leadership and involvement in the fight to end malaria.
Impact Global Health are a not-for-profit research and policy organisation focused on global health R&D across neglected diseases, emerging infectious diseases and women’s health.

Terminology

UK definition: A candidate is counted as "UK" if at least one of its developer organisations has the United Kingdom as its registered country. Candidates with multiple developers are not double counted. This includes both public and private research organisations.
For more information on the Global Research and Technology Development portfolio from the FCDO, see here.

Data

Pipeline data

New data on the UK’s contribution to the malaria science pipeline conducted by Impact Global Health using their Product Pipeline Portal: https://pipeline.impactglobalhealth.org/ (April, 2026).
Pipeline size: 291 candidates in the current (2025) Malaria pipeline.
Coverage: 91.1% of candidates have at least one developer with a resolvable country.

Funding

The UK has been the second highest country funder of malaria R&D since 2007, followed only by the US. The majority (57%) of this investment goes to UK-based institutions and organisations, helping create jobs and drive economic growth. (G-Finder, Impact Global Health, last accessed March 2026).

Domestic UK benefits

Projections showed that getting back on track to the Sustainable Development Goal of cutting malaria by 90% by 2030 could boost the economies of malaria-endemic countries by $142.7 billion, including more than $450 million in trade from the UK to malaria-endemic countries. (‘The Malaria Dividend’, Malaria No More UK, 2025)
AS01 was developed through global health R&D for malaria vaccines and first deployed in the malaria vaccine RTS,S. During this development process, AS01 was recognised not as a single-use solution, but as a highly flexible immune-enhancing platform capable of eliciting strong and durable immune responses. This platform capability enabled AS01 to be repurposed and incorporated into Shingrix, a recombinant vaccine for shingles (herpes zoster). Today, Shingrix is widely used across HICs, where shingles represents a growing public health challenge linked to ageing populations. (‘The Ripple Effect 2.0’, Impact Global Health, 2026. See also ‘Securing Britain’s Future’, Malaria No More UK in partnership with Impact Global Health, 2025).