Box 2 A selection of free text responses to the question: “What has surprised you most about developments in malaria research in the last 20 years?”

“The limited progress made in developing a truly effective malaria vaccine”. (other professional affiliation, high-income country)

“The continued investments in vaccines and genomic solutions at the expenses of investments in vector control which have saved more children (than) any other intervention in the present and the previous malaria elimination campaigns” (Academia, high-income country)

“That operational research is not more important” (Academia, high-income country)

“Low interest and lack of funding in malaria compared to new diseases such as HIV, few innovations in new effective malaria control tools” (National government, low-income country)

“The unprecedented rise in the investment in malaria research in malaria endemic countries largely due to support from external funders. Despite this global effort how relatively little domestic funding government in malaria endemic countries continue to invest in malaria research” (Academia, low-income country)

“After working for 30 years on malaria control in Africa I was amazed when malaria started to decline in many African countries” (Academia, high-income country)

“Most surprising has been that lack of “true innovation” in malaria community. Our current best tools are still also our oldest” (Non-government organization, low-income country)

“The enormous disparity between research and policy, and the parallel universes of the research and international health/donor communities” (Academia, low-income country)

“The little investments in health systems research—understanding how health systems could improve effective coverage of malaria interventions” (Academia, high-income country)

“The slow progress from research into policy following the discovery of ACT while there was evidence that chloroquine resistance was associated with increased mortality” (Academia, middle-income country)