Battle to Beat Malaria

Battle to Beat Malaria

From NOVA Presents by GBH

May 12, 2026 · 22 min · Season 5 · Episode 8

About this episode

The episode discusses the potential of a new malaria vaccine and the efforts of researchers to combat this deadly disease.

Could one of the world’s deadliest diseases be headed for the history books? Malaria’s relentless yearly death toll has driven the World Health Organization to set bold targets, and a new vaccine may signal a turning point in the long battle against this disease. Early trials demonstrated a remarkable efficacy rate, but the question remained: Could it earn an all-important recommendation from the WHO? Follow the international team of researchers that worked tirelessly to develop a vaccine that could save more lives and reshape the future of malaria prevention. You can watch the full film here . Learn more about NOVA and subscribe to our YouTube channel.

Topics covered

  • malaria
  • vaccine development
  • public health
  • disease prevention
  • global health initiatives

Keywords

  • malaria
  • vaccine
  • World Health Organization
  • public health
  • disease prevention
  • research
  • global health

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: World Health Organization, NOVA

Products: vaccine

More episodes of NOVA Presents

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the NOVA Presents podcast page.