Scientists offer people almost Sh900,000 to contract malaria

Scientists are offering to pay volunteers nearly £7,000 if they agree to be infected with killer disease malaria.

There were 435,000 deaths worldwide in 2017 due to the illness, usually spread by mosquitos, according to World Health Org-anisation estimates.

The Jenner Institute in Oxford wants 18 to 50-year olds to have jabs up to three times for £6,885 as part of vaccine research.

It says: “There is a great need for a safe, effective malaria vaccine as the range of medicines is limited and drug resistance is increasing.”

The trial will deal with Plasmodium vivax, the second most common malaria parasite.

The institute said six volunteers injected with P vivax in January had all “made a rapid, full recovery”.

Malaria can cause comas, seizures and death.

But Prof Sanjeev Krishna, of St George’s, University of London, said: “Trial conditions make sure of the safety of volunteers in highly- controlled infections.”