Malaria remains one of the most serious health problems worldwide and is responsible for between one and three million deaths annually. Even if the current trend towards a reduction of malaria incidence as a result of better anti-malarial drugs and intensified use of effective control measures continues, the situation is fragile due to the spread of drug-resistant parasites and insecticide-resistant vectors.

This meeting will explore important recent findings in parasite and vector biology, disease pathophysiology and immunology, as well as disease treatment, prevention and control. In this fast-moving discipline, there is a need for the scientific community to take the opportunity to meet and review significant progress.

Session 1: Advances in understanding parasite biology and host-parasite interactions that are relevant to disease and treatment

Session 2: Assimilating genome-wide analyses of parasites to provides new tools for vaccines and drug discovery projects, as well as understanding the mechanisms of resistance

Session 3: Vector biology: New approaches to vector control of plasmodium parasites

Session 4: Emerging parasites: recently discovered knowlesi in humans that is providing new insights into pathophysiology of malarial infections

Session 5: Revisiting the sequestration and cytokine/mediator models for pathogenesis

Session 6: Drug discovery - renewed vision and role in malaria control and elimination

Session 7: Immunology and vaccine development

Session 8: Disease Control: Vector control options are constantly evolving, whether by pesticide, sterile insect technique or biological control. What else is on the horizon?

Researchers, clinicians, graduate students, post doctoral fellows, health organizations and all who are interested in malaria and public health.

Cutting edge presentations will be delivered by internationally renowned researchers. Short oral platform presentations and posters will be selected from registrants submitted abstracts.

Malaria Journal is an Open Access, peer-reviewed, online journal. It is the only journal that publishes exclusively papers on malaria and, as such, it aims to bring together knowledge from the different specialties involved in this very broad discipline, from the bench to the bedside and to the field. Subjects covered include any aspects of the biology of malaria parasites and their vectors; clinical features and disease pathophysiology; biochemistry and molecular biology; case management and treatment; drug development and drug resistance; immunology, immunogenetics and vaccine development; genomes and transcriptomes of malaria parasites and their vectors; epidemiology and transmission dynamics; vector control; health system, policy and planning issues relating to prevention and treatment; economic, sociological and anthropological issues; poverty and gender issues, land use and global environmental change; intersectoral issues; intervention studies and operational research; control policy and planning.

BioMed Central is an STM (Science, Technology and Medicine) publisher which has pioneered the open access publishing model. All peer-reviewed research articles published by BioMed Central are made immediately and freely accessible online, and are licensed to allow redistribution and reuse. BioMed Central is part of Springer Science+Business Media, a leading global publisher in the STM sector.