PLACENTAL MALARIA- INSIGHT INTO VACCINE DEVELOPMENT

Abstract

Malaria in pregnancy, a life-threatening situation for both mother and developing fetus, results in multiple complications, from low birth weight to still birth or abortion. Usually a healthy person after the parasitic infection, develop some immunity, but the pregnant status of a female lowers the protective immunity against Plasmodium falciparum which is worldwide considered as the most dangerous specie of all four human infecting malarial parasites. It is estimated that 125 million women worldwide, are threatened with malarial catastrophes which includes around 10,000 maternal and 200,000 neonatal deaths every year1. According to a study conducted in Pakistan in 2004, it was observed that mostly the pregnant patients get infected with Plasmodium vivax, but the majority of complications of malaria are associated with Plasmodium falciparum2. In Pakistan, Malarial infections are endemic, commonly caused by Plasmodium vivax, but now around 35-40% of cases are being reported with Plasmodium falciparum.