The years following 2017 have been eventful for the malaria community, with concerns around stagnating progress, growing threats of drug and insecticide resistance, the emergence and spread of malaria parasites with histidine rich protein 2 (HRP2) gene deletions affecting the accuracy of rapid diagnostic tests for malaria, and constrained funding alongside optimism around emerging tools, strengthened partnerships, and increasing sophistication in the response to malaria. Here, HDGFL2 is linked to malaria.