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Introduction

The story of Sir Ronald Ross is a tale of perseverance, genius, and triumph against adversity. From the vibrant city of Kolkata, a cornerstone of tropical medicine, Ross unraveled one of history’s most pivotal scientific mysteries, the transmission of malaria by the Anopheles mosquito. [1] His discovery, which transformed our understanding of the disease, was achieved not in lavishly equipped laboratories but within the constraints of resource-poor settings. Ross’s journey is not just a tribute to his intellectual brilliance; it is an enduring inspiration for researchers who dare to dream and innovate, even in the face of significant limitations. (Fig. 1).

A young mind’s journey to greatness

Born on 13 May 1857 in Almora, India, Ronald Ross was far from the archetypal academic prodigy. [2] While he displayed an early flair for literature, music, and mathematics, his school performance was less than stellar. Yet, a twist of fate saw him enroll at St. Bartholomew’s Hospital Medical College in London, where he graduated in 1881. His subsequent entry into the Indian Medical Service (IMS) marked the beginning of an extraordinary career spanning two and a half decades across India, Burma, and beyond. For much of his early career, Ross’s medical duties were routine. It wasn’t until 1892 when he encountered the groundbreaking observations of Alphonse Laveran, who discovered malarial parasites in the blood of infected patients, that he became captivated by the mystery of malaria. This fascination grew under the mentorship of Sir Patrick Manson, who introduced Ross to microscopy and encouraged him to investigate the theory that mosquitoes were responsible for transmitting malaria.

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On reflection
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