Resource of the Month

August 2010

Ecology: A prerequisite for malaria elimination and eradication

Addressing vector ecology will be a fundamental strategy in the elimination of malaria due to the complexities of vector resistance and evolving behavioral avoidance of commonly used interventions such as insecticide-treated bed nets and indoor residual spraying. Malaria programs across different eco-epidemiological settings will need to address these challenges with an integrated package of interventions that target multiple points of the mosquito life cycle. A greater understanding and increased investment in vector ecology will ensure that elimination programs stay ahead of changes in mosquito behavior.

Ecology: A Prerequisite for Malaria Elimination and Eradication >

July 2010

New Estimates of the Global Clinical Malaria Burden

Using a new technique to derive global clinical burden estimates of Plasmodium falciparum malaria, MEG members Simon Hay and Bob Snow, along with colleagues from the Malaria Atlas Project (MAP), have estimated a global map of clinical malaria cases. Recently published in PLoS Medicine, the study uses a cartographic approach versus a traditional national surveillance systems approach. Authors estimated that there were over 450 million clinical cases of P. falciparum malaria in 2007, with more than half occurring in only four countries: India, Myanmar, Nigeria, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. An accurate picture of the global clinical burden of malaria is extremely valuable to concentrate efforts and resources where they will have the greatest impact.

Estimating the Global Clinical Burden of Plasmodium falciparum Malaria in 2007

June 2010

Regional and Country Malaria Profiles in the Greater Mekong Subregion

The World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Offices for South-East Asia (SEARO) and the Western Pacific (WPRO) recently updated their regional and country malaria profiles for the Mekong Malaria Program. In 1999, the Mekong Roll Back Malaria Initiative was launched to bring together six malaria control programs: Cambodia, China (Yunnan province), Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam, to consolidate efforts in reducing malaria morbidity and mortality throughout the subregion. Since 1999, national estimates of malaria morbidity and mortality reveal that considerable progress has been achieved. Many factors have contributed to the success in this subregion, nevertheless multidrug resistance, counterfeit/substandard drug use and population migration, among other factors, will require increased vigilance as these six countries continue their endeavor in rolling back malaria.

Malaria in the Greater Mekong Subregion: Regional and Country Profiles

May 2010

World Malaria Day 2010: Update on Malaria Progress

On April 25, 2010 the world commemorated the 3rd annual World Malaria Day with news, commentary and live events to mark the 250-days that remain for countries to meet the United Nations Secretary-General’s 2010 targets for delivering effective and affordable malaria protection and treatment to all people at risk. Among the updates conveyed on World Malaria Day 2010 was a viewpoint published in The Lancet on the progress and prospects in Africa in the decade since the Abuja Declaration. The authors discuss how far malaria control progress has come since The Abuja Declaration and the Plan of Action was signed on April 25, 2000. Furthermore, the authors describe what we can expect for the future and what our priorities should be in the coming years.

For more news and media, press statements, commentary and other World Malaria Day 2010 resources, visit the World Malaria Day 2010 page.

April 2010

Community Participation for Malaria Elimination

Communities play an essential role in any successful disease control or elimination program. As is the case with all elimination strategies, community participation efforts must be tailored to local contexts. There is no “one-size-fits-all” strategy; each setting needs to be evaluated based on many factors including geographic location, political context, socio-economic conditions and resource availability, to name a few.

Appendix A: Examples of Community Participation for Disease Elimination
Appendix B: Multi-level influences on Community Participation
Appendix C: Potential Local-Level Stakeholders to Engage for Community Mobilization

A community-directed strategy for sustainable malaria elimination on islands

March 2010

Malaria Elimination: When the Tools Are Great but Implementation Falters

A recent editorial compares and contrasts two similar studies on integrated vector management (IVM) and evaluates the reasons why malaria program implementers should carefully assess control and prevention strategies prior to implementation. One aspect of IVM, known as larval source management, is proven to be highly effective in combination with other interventions that are being increasingly scaled-up, such as treated bed nets. Yet, despite having the tools to effectively reduce transmission, the proper implementation of these quality tools should not be underestimated.

Malaria Elimination: When the Tools Are Great but Implementation Falters  PDF icon

February 2010

The Use of Mobile Phone Data for the Estimation of the Travel Patterns and Imported Plasmodium falciparum Rates Among Zanzibar Residents

Researchers have recently tested the use of anonymous mobile phone data to estimate the travel patterns of residents traveling to and from the islands of Zanzibar in an effort to quantify the level of importation risk and the feasibility of elimination. As mobile phone usage continues to increase globally, this novel data source has important potential for assessing the feasibility of malaria elimination, and can be used in the strategic planning of elimination campaigns.

January 2010

Malaria Elimination in Zanzibar: A Feasibility Assessment

Due to the recent success that Zanzibar has achieved in reducing its malaria burden, Zanzibar finds itself at the crossroads of deciding whether to continue sustaining malaria control or to seek malaria elimination. To reach their decision, the Zanzibar Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and the Zanzibar Malaria Control Program conducted an assessment to gauge the feasibility of reaching and sustaining malaria elimination from the operational, technical and financial perspectives. This feasibility assessment resulted in a series of recommendations, and is the first robust analysis on the feasibility of elimination, therefore forming a strong foundation from which strategic decisions in Zanzibar can be made.

Malaria Elimination in Zanzibar: A Feasibility Assessment

November 2009

The Role of Simple Mathematical Models in Malaria Elimination Strategy Design

As discussed in Chapter 7 of A Prospectus on Malaria Elimination, mathematical models play a very important role in addressing the complexities of using multiple partially-effective interventions to control and eliminate malaria. Mathematical models estimate the levels of coverage necessary to eliminate the disease in certain environments, can help to identify the spread of anti-malarial drug resistance, and inform programmatic decisions. Unlike many complex models that require more comprehensive data, a simple model has recently been developed to demonstrate the interrelationships between different interventions and the potential for elimination when they are combined. It is designed specifically for situations where data are sparse, and allows for many intervention scenarios to be analyzed in a short length of time to provide a quick and reliable assessment.

The Role of Simple Mathematical Models in Malaria Elimination Strategy Design

October 2009

Do We Still Need a Malaria Vaccine?

An unexpectedly large reduction in the burden of malaria has recently been achieved in a number of malaria endemic countries following the scaling up of effective treatment and simple vector control programs. These remarkable achievements compel the malaria community to question the need for a partially effective malaria vaccine targeted at disease prevention. In an environment with effective prevention and control tools, a malaria vaccine needs to be highly efficacious, and sustained over a number of years, if it is to replace or supplement existing control measures. Vaccines will have an important role to play in malaria control and elimination efforts; however, many of the operational and financial elements concerning vaccines must be considered to determine their most effective role in future malaria programs.

Do We Still Need a Malaria Vaccine?

September 2009

Case Study: Program to Eradicate Malaria in Sardinia, 1946-1950

Between 1946 and 1950, a bold experiment was conducted by the Rockefeller Foundation to study the effects of DDT spray on malaria-carrying mosquitoes in the absence of other control measures, and to exterminate the mosquito from the island. The effort spent millions of dollars and enormous amounts of DDT were spread over Sardinia in an attempt to free the island from malaria. Although complete eradication of the malaria vector was not achieved due to various political, ecological, and logistical difficulties, the large-scale attempt did eventually eliminate malaria from Sardinia after decades of surveillance and continued mosquito control efforts. Sixty years after the DDT campaign, the debate between the risks and the benefits concerning DDT use for malaria control continues. The Sardinia case study demonstrates that malaria elimination using a single intervention is not sufficient alone to accomplish the task. Implementing a complementary set of interventions based on local environmental and epidemiological conditions will have a greater impact on malaria transmission and elimination of the disease.

application/pdf iconCase Study: Program to Eradicate Malaria in Sardinia, 1946-1950

August 2009

Wilton Park Releases Conference Report: “Malaria: Getting to Zeroâ€

In April 2009, a diverse group of global health leaders came together to attend the “Malaria: Getting to Zero” conference at Wilton Park, U.K., sponsored by the Exxon Mobil Corporation and the UCSF Global Health Group. Country leaders, private sector partners, funders, implementers, researchers and journalists convened to discuss two ambitious global goals: achieving zero deaths from malaria in high-burden countries, and achieving zero transmission of malaria (elimination) in low-burden countries. The new report is a digest of the participants’ conversations, exploring current progress, future challenges, and long and short-term control and elimination strategies.