European Inventor Award

Sir Adrian Hill of the University of Oxford witnessed children dying from malaria in Gambia in the late 1980s, and set out to develop a vaccine that could save lives where it was needed most.

For this work, he received the European Inventor Award in July 2026, one of the most prestigious science prizes in the world.

The R21 or Matrix-M vaccine, recommended by the WHO in 2023, is now rolling out across Africa at less than three pounds per dose, raising hopes that one day malaria could be eliminated altogether.

[upbeat music] I'm Marishka Suben in Johannesburg.