Vaccine development

Abstract

Parasitic protozoa exact an enormous toll on human life, with immediate medical and economic consequences. The heaviest burden of these diseases is borne by the poor, and it is recognised that they contribute to global poverty. Although most infections are treatable with drugs, these are often expensive and toxic and require multiple doses and induction of resistance problematic. Vaccines are recognised as highly cost-effective public health tools and are the only means by which global eradication of any disease has been achieved. Despite the urgent need, no vaccine is available against any human parasite. Reasons for this include the relative complexity and different species of the causativ..