Severe malaria remains a major cause of global mortality. The innate immune response to
infection is a key determinant of malaria severity and outcome. The complement system
plays a key role in initiating and augmenting innate immune responses, including
inflammation, endothelial activation, opsonization and coagulation, processes which have
been implicated in malaria pathogenesis. In this review, we discuss the evidence supporting
a role for excessive complement activation in the pathogenesis of severe malaria.