Acute lung injury (ALI) and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), complications of P. falciparum malaria are associated with a very high mortality but are rarely seen in P. vivax malaria. Herein, we report a 28-year old woman who developed ARDS after infection with P. vivax. In a systematic review the literature for the use of noninvasive ventilation (NIV) in cases of ALI/ARDS related to P. vivax, from among 45 reports noninvasive positive pressure ventilation (NIPPV) was used in the management of three cases of ALI/ARDS related to P. vivax. The use of NIV in vivax malaria related ALI/ARDS is associated with a good outcome.