The first malaria antigen suitable as target for such a test was a soluble glycolytic enzyme Glutamate dehydrogenase.

In many endemic areas of tropical Africa, however, the quantitative assessment of parasitaemia is important, as a large percentage of the population will test positive in any qualitative assay.

Antigen-based rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) have an important role at the periphery of health services capability because many rural clinics do not have the ability to diagnose malaria on-site due to a lack of microscopes and trained technicians to evaluate blood films.

Furthermore, in regions where the disease is not endemic, laboratory technologists have very limited experience in detecting and identifying malaria parasites.

An ever increasing numbers of travelers from temperate areas each year visit tropical countries and many of them return with a malaria infection.

The threshold of detection by these rapid diagnostic tests is in the range of 100 parasites/μL of blood compared to 5 by thick film microscopy.

[4][5][6] An accurate diagnosis is becoming more and more important, in view of the increasing resistance of Plasmodium falciparum and the high price of alternatives to chloroquine.

Glutamate dehydrogenase provides an oxidizable carbon source used for the production of energy as well as a reduced electron carrier, NADH.

[9][10] HRP II from P. falciparum has been implicated in the biocrystallization of hemozoin, an inert, crystalline form of ferriprotoporphyrin IX (Fe(3+)-PPIX) produced by the parasite.

[18] Fructose-bisphosphate aldolase [EC 4.1.2.13] catalyzes a key reaction in glycolysis and energy production and is produced by all four species.