Introduction
Malaria is one of the big three infectious diseases along with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and tuberculosis.1,2 This life-threatening infectious disease is caused by Plasmodium parasites, primarily transmitted to humans through the bites of infected Anopheles mosquitoes.3 Of the five Plasmodium species capable of infecting humans (P. falciparum, P. malariae, P. ovale, P. vivax, and P. knowlesi), P. falciparum is responsible for the majority of severe malaria cases and fatalities.4
Despite the ancient origins of malaria, it remains a significant global health threat.5 Advances in understanding the life cycle of Plasmodium in the 19th and early 20th centuries laid the foundations for vector control strategies, the development of anti-malarial…