Malaria

Evaluating the performance of Plasmodium falciparum genetic metrics for inferring National Malaria Control Programme reported incidence in Senegal

Background Genetic surveillance of the Plasmodium falciparum parasite shows great promise for helping National Malaria Control Programmes (NMCPs) assess parasite transmission. Genetic metrics such as the frequency of polygenomic (multiple strain) infections, genetic clones, and the complexity of infection (COI, number of strains per infection) are correlated with transmission intensity. However, despite these correlations, it…
Malaria and neglected tropical diseases

Malaria is a top-ten cause of death in low-income countries, with the highest burden on children under 5. Despite significant improvement in malaria control, eradication efforts are hampered by many factors, both economic and ecological. Sustained access to funding, insecticide and drug resistance, and heterogeneity in disease outcomes and timing (due to human factors such…
Acceptability, feasibility, drug safety, and effectiveness of a pilot mass drug administration with a single round of sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine plus primaquine and indoor residual spraying in communities with malaria transmission in Haiti, 2018

For a malaria elimination strategy, Haiti’s National Malaria Control Program piloted a mass drug administration (MDA) with indoor residual spraying (IRS) in 12 high-transmission areas across five communes after implementing community case management and strengthened surveillance. The MDA distributed sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine and single low-dose primaquine to eligible residents during house visits. The IRS campaign applied pirimiphos-methyl…
The contribution of malaria and sickle cell disease to anaemia among children aged 6-59m in Nigeria: A secondary analysis using data from the 2018 Demographic and Health Survey

Introduction Anaemia is a major cause of morbidity and mortality among children in sub-Saharan Africa. Anaemia has many aetiologies best addressed by different treatments, so regional studies of the aetiology of anaemia may be required. Methods We analysed data from Nigeria’s 2018 Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) to study predictors of anaemia among children ages…
Population replacement gene drive characteristics for malaria elimination in a range of seasonal transmission settings: a modelling study

Background Gene drives are a genetic engineering method where a suite of genes is inherited at higher than Mendelian rates and has been proposed as a promising new vector control strategy to reinvigorate the fight against malaria in sub-Saharan Africa. Methods Using an agent-based model of malaria transmission with vector genetics, the impacts of releasing…
Gene drive mosquitoes can aid malaria elimination by retarding Plasmodium sporogonic development

Gene drives hold promise for the genetic control of malaria vectors. The development of vector population modification strategies hinges on the availability of effector mechanisms impeding parasite development in transgenic mosquitoes. We augmented a midgut gene of the malaria mosquito Anopheles gambiae to secrete two exogenous antimicrobial peptides, magainin 2 and melittin. This small genetic…
Contribution of malaria and sickle cell disease to anaemia among children aged 6-59 months in Nigeria: a cross-sectional study using data from the 2018 Demographic and Health Survey

Objectives: To estimate the fraction of anaemia attributable to malaria and sickle cell disease (SCD) among children aged 6-59 months in Nigeria. Design: Cross-sectional analysis of data from Nigeria’s 2018 Demographic and Health Survey (DHS). Setting: Nigeria. Participants: 11 536 children aged 6-59 months from randomly selected households were eligible for participation, of whom 11…
Mapping the endemicity and seasonality of clinical malaria for intervention targeting in Haiti using routine case data

Towards the goal of malaria elimination on Hispaniola, the National Malaria Control Program of Haiti and its international partner organisations are conducting a campaign of interventions targeted to high-risk communities prioritised through evidence-based planning. Here we present a key piece of this planning: an up-to-date, fine-scale endemicity map and seasonality profile for Haiti informed by…
Global economic costs due to vivax malaria and the potential impact of its radical cure: A modelling study

Background In 2017, an estimated 14 million cases of Plasmodium vivax malaria were reported from Asia, Central and South America, and the Horn of Africa. The clinical burden of vivax malaria is largely driven by its ability to form dormant liver stages (hypnozoites) that can reactivate to cause recurrent episodes of malaria. Elimination of both…
Quantifying malaria acquired during travel and its role in malaria elimination on Bioko Island

Background Malaria elimination is the goal for Bioko Island, Equatorial Guinea. Intensive interventions implemented since 2004 have reduced prevalence, but progress has stalled in recent years. A challenge for elimination has been malaria infections in residents acquired during travel to mainland Equatorial Guinea. The present article quantifies how off-island contributes to remaining malaria prevalence on…