Articles

Update of the response plan to pfhrp2 gene deletions: meeting report, 26 January 2023

Armed with vaccine, families in Benin take the fight to malaria

An assessment of Ghana’s pilot of the RTS,S malaria vaccine implementation programme; 2019–2021: a retrospective study

Ghana's implementation of the RTS,S malaria vaccine in 2019 has been evaluated in a retrospective study conducted in early 2024. Using an adapted WHO checklist, researchers assessed various aspects of the Malaria Vaccine Implementation Programme (MVIP) across 42 districts. The study aimed to provide a quantitative rating of the country's performance, addressing a gap in previous evaluations. Results showed an overall "good" performance score of 78.9%, with strengths in areas such as policy, coordination, and health worker training. However, challenges were identified in financial planning, cold chain management, and monitoring. These findings offer valuable insights for improving Ghana's immunization program and can guide other regions introducing malaria vaccines, regardless of the specific product used. The study highlights both the successes and areas for improvement in this pioneering public health initiative.

Comparing approaches for chemoprevention for school-based malaria control in Malawi: an open label, randomized, controlled clinical trial

A recent study from Malawi offers promising insights into protecting school-age children from malaria. Researchers compared two approaches: treating all students (IPT) versus screening and treating only infected students (IST). While both methods successfully reduced malaria infections, only treating all students (IPT) lowered clinical malaria cases and anaemia. Interestingly, students receiving either treatment showed improved literacy scores. This research could be useful in malaria control in schools across Africa, potentially boosting both health and education outcomes. The study also successfully used tablet-based tests to measure cognitive skills, paving the way for future large-scale assessments in similar settings. Read the full article to learn how this approach could transform the fight against malaria in school-age children

A community engagement framework to accelerate the uptake of malaria vaccines in Africa

TGHN Malaria knowledge hub meet and greet session

New research flags the urgent need for research and evidence on the impact of climate change on neglected tropical diseases and malaria

Genomic malaria surveillance of antenatal care users detects reduced transmission following elimination interventions in Mozambique

Genomics reveals heterogeneous Plasmodium falciparum transmission and selection signals in Zambia

Safety and efficacy of malaria vaccine candidate R21/Matrix-M in African children: a multicentre, double-blind, randomised, phase 3 trial

 Promising Results for New Malaria Vaccine in African Children A phase 3 clinical trial published in The Lancet provides strong evidence that a new malaria vaccine, R21/Matrix-M, is highly efficacious and safe in African children. The randomized controlled trial was conducted at sites across four sub-Saharan African countries from 2021-2022. Nearly 5000 children aged 5-36 months received three doses of the R21/Matrix-M vaccine or a control rabies vaccine.

Bridging the gap to malaria vaccination in Africa: Challenges and opportunities

Cabo Verde eliminates malaria

Integrating vaccines and monoclonal antibodies into malaria prevention

World Malaria report 2023

Malaria in 2022: Increasing challenges, cautious optimism

Harnessing AI to Predict Malaria Outbreaks: A Game-Changer in Disease Prevention

The art of medicine Artesunate versus quinine: the controlled trials watershed

Project Report: The Sciback-skit programme: Engaging young people as malaria ambassadors in Kenya

In this project from the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology in Kenya and funded by the DELTAS Africa CPE Seed Fund, high school students were educated about malaria and scientific research, to inspire them to become ambassadors in their communities, and to go on to have careers in science.

Epidemiology, Biodiversity, and Technological Trajectories in the Brazilian Amazon: From Malaria to COVID-19

The Amazon biome is under severe threat due to increasing deforestation rates and loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services while sustaining a high burden of neglected tropical diseases. Approximately two thirds of this biome are located within Brazilian territory. There, socio-economic and environmental landscape transformations are linked to the regional agrarian economy dynamics, which has developed into six techno-productive trajectories (TTs).

Cost-effectiveness of intermittent preventive treatment with dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine for malaria during pregnancy: an analysis using efficacy results from Uganda and Kenya, and pooled data

The authors aimed to estimate the cost-effectiveness of intermittent preventive treatment in pregnancy with dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine (IPTp-DP) versus IPTp-SP to prevent clinical malaria infection (and its sequelae) during pregnancy. Findings suggest that among HIV-negative pregnant women with high uptake of long-lasting insecticidal nets, IPTp-DP is cost-effective in areas with high malaria transmission and high sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine resistance. These data provide a comprehensive overview of the current evidence on the cost-effectiveness of IPTp-DP. Nevertheless, before a policy change is advocated, we recommend further research into the effectiveness and costs of different regimens of IPTp-DP in settings with different underlying sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine resistance.