On this World Malaria Day, host Paul Adepoju, PhD sits down with genomicist Dr Jane Carlton, Director of the Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute, for a candid look at how—and why—the global malaria map keeps shrinking even amid a sudden funding storm.

From decoding Plasmodium genomes and deploying AI-powered diagnostics to rolling out the first WHO-approved vaccines and engineering “better” mosquitoes, Dr Carlton describes the science that’s turning elimination from dream to deadline. She also unpacks the immediate fallout of U.S. aid cuts—lost bed nets, dwindling rapid tests, and stalled fieldwork—and explains why low- and middle-income countries are scrambling to plug the gap.

Yet optimism prevails: new bio-pesticides, precision medicine, and community-led strategies are accelerating progress, with Egypt and others recently joining the 40-plus malaria-free nations list. ​

Whether you’re a public-health pro, a global-development watcher, or just curious about the tech and tenacity behind disease eradication, this episode delivers insight, urgency, and hope in equal measure. Tune in, share, and join the push toward a malaria-free world.