Vitamin D and malaria – many studies
Does malaria have any association with vitamin D - Perplexity AI Deep Research May 2025
In a 2014 study of Ugandan children, researchers found that 95% of children with severe malaria and 80% of control children were vitamin D-insufficient (plasma 25(OH)D <30 ng/mL).
Mean plasma vitamin D levels were significantly lower in children with severe malaria than in community children (21.2 vs. 25.3 ng/mL, p = 0.03).
These findings led researchers to conclude that
for every 1 ng/mL increase in plasma vitamin D, the odds of having severe malaria declined by9%__
[OR = 0.91 (95% CI: 0.84, 1.0)]
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10+ VitaminDWiki pages with MALARIA in the title
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2022 Deaths:TB = 1.3 million, Malaria = 0.6 million
10% to 20% more likely for under- five children to get malaria within 6 months of low vitamin D test - Dec 2023
Vitamin D status and the risk of malaria among under-five children in Africa - Dec 2023 abstract only
Background Vitamin D deficiency (VDD) and malaria are conditions of public health importance whose burden is still rising among children globally and in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Animal studies have found evidence of the association between VDD and various outcomes, including malaria. However, few observational studies quantifying the effect of VDD or vitamin D insufficiency (VDI) on malaria in humans exist. This study aimed to examine the effect of vitamin D on malaria risk among children in SSA.
Methods This analysis utilised data from a prospective birth cohort in Entebbe, Uganda and a community-based cohort in Kilifi, Kenya. Univariate and multivariable Poisson regression with robust standard errors, logistic, and linear regression models were used to estimate the effect of vitamin D on malaria (incidence/risk/antibodies), respectively.
Results Of the 2493 children analysed, 42.0% had VDD/VDI (25(OH)D levels<75nmol/L). After adjusting for age, sex, iron deficiency (ID) and country, there was some evidence of an association between VDD/VDI and malaria incidence at 6 months following vitamin D measurement (ARR:1.18;95%CI:0.98–1.42;p=0.072) . Malaria risk and incidence results were similar. After adjusting for age, sex, ID, inflammation, and cohort, there was strong evidence of an association between VDD/VDI and higher log anti-AMA-1 (Adjusted β:0.25;95%CI:0.08,0.43;p-value=0.004). Some differences in the relationship between VDD/VDI and malaria antibody levels were seen between cohorts.
Conclusion Low vitamin D levels are associated with increased malaria incidence and P.falciparum antibodies. The results of this analysis were consistent with the evidence from animal studies and did not support the clues found in some existing observational studies. These results suggest that VDD/VDI may play a role in advancing malaria infection, but the malaria antibody results could be due to reverse causality. Further research is warranted to confirm the malaria incidence/risk results and address the direction of causality between VDD/VDI and malaria antibodies using Mendelian randomisation.
Search Google Scholar for Malaria "vitamin d": 28,200 studies as of May, 2025
Does vitamin D reduce the mortality rate of Plasmodium infection?: a systematic review and meta-analysis - June 2023 https://doi.org/10.1186/s12936-023-04612-4
- 3X fewer Malaria deaths in mice 📄 PDF
Relative Burdens of the COVID-19, Malaria, Tuberculosis, and HIV/AIDS Epidemics in Sub-Saharan Africa
- Dec 2021 see VitaminDWiki HIV, TB, Malaria more important than COVID to lower Africa - Dec 2021
Pediatric Cerebral Malaria - Jan 2021 https://doi.org/10.1007/s40475-021-00227-4
Oral administration of vitamin D and importance in prevention of cerebral malaria - Nov 2018 📄 PDF
All mice given Vitamin D survived, all mice without Vitamin d died
