Malaria control in sub-Saharan Africa faces significant challenges from biological threats, such as insecticide resistance and adaptive vector behaviours, as well as increasing financial constraints, which necessitate strategic intervention planning to maximize impact. This study assesses the effectiveness of combining vector control methods, case management, and immunoprevention...
Effective malaria surveillance is critical for timely and targeted vector control, especially in endemic settings approaching elimination. In recent years, mHealth technologies have emerged as promising tools to improve case detection, reporting efficiency, and spatial targeting of interventions. However, the extent to which mobile-app-based surveillance systems are integrated...
The identification of genetic markers has revolutionized the assessment of antimalarial drug resistance. Tracking the molecular markers of resistance emerged as a valuable tool over 60 years ago, following the identification of sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP) genetic resistance markers, dhfr and dhps. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension...
Malaria persists as a global health emergency, with Plasmodium falciparum resistance to artemisinin (ART) critically undermining elimination campaigns. This review consolidates dual challenges of ART production and resistance, presenting a unified analysis of countermeasures. The examination encompasses biotechnological advances in ART biosynthesis, including metabolic...
Mosquitoes are primary vectors for various diseases, with urban areas particularly vulnerable due to dense populations and favourable breeding conditions. In India, mosquito-borne diseases such as malaria, dengue, and lymphatic filariasis remain pressing public health concerns. This study assessed the effectiveness and longevity of Spinosad, a naturally derived bio-larvicide, as...
Malaria vaccination was piloted in selected areas of three countries to produce evidence that would inform global recommendations on the public health use of the RTS,S/AS01E (RTS,S) malaria vaccine and to inform guidance for countries planning to introduce the vaccine into childhood immunization systems. This paper focuses on challenges to the uptake and delivery of a four-dose...
Rajasthan state of India is exhibiting diverse malaria transmission patterns shaped by its varied ecological landscapes. This study explores five decades (1975–2023) of malaria patterns in different ecogeographical regions of Rajasthan. The four ecogeographical regions of Rajasthan, namely Desert, Aravalli, Gangetic plain, and Hadoti Plateau, were taken into consideration to...
Malaria remains a significant public health challenge in many regions, necessitating robust predictive models to aid in its management and prevention. This study focuses on developing and evaluating time series models for forecasting malaria cases across eight Indian states: Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Odisha, Tripura, and Uttar Pradesh. We employed...
Seasonal surges in malaria place significant strain on health systems, resulting in frequent shortages of diagnostic tests and antimalarial drugs. Reliable forecasts of outbreaks can help health authorities plan resource allocation more efficiently. This study aimed to develop and validate a predictive model of malaria outbreaks in a low-transmission setting in southern Zambia...
Malaria remains a major global public health problem, particularly affecting children under 5 years of age and pregnant women in regions where temperatures are favorable for transmission. Despite continuous control efforts, malaria continues to pose a significant health and economic burden, underscoring the need for rigorous quantitative assessment of intervention strategies. A...
Malaria is a major cause of illness and death in Liberia. Given the high burden of disease and limited resources, Liberia implemented a subnational tailoring (SNT) approach. This approach involved stakeholder engagement, data review, and advanced analytics to update transmission risk assessment, optimize intervention targeting, and revise the national operational plan. An SNT...
Ghana still faces prevailing malaria cases despite the progress made in reducing its incidence. The formal private drug retail sector most at times tends to be the first source of healthcare for people with fever. However, there is limited information from this sector with regards to the documentation and reporting of malaria cases and other diseases. This study examined malaria...
A new water-saving techniques involves minimal tillage and intermittent flooding has the advantage of reducing the production of mosquito larvae, which could in turn reduce the density of adult mosquitoes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of a new water-saving technique on reducing the number of Anopheles breeding sites in an area with a high density of the main...
The increasing production of antimalarials and the growing emergence of partial resistance to artemisinin necessitate effective antimalarial stewardship. The Outreach Training and Supportive Supervision (OTSS) provides an effective quality assurance framework to foster such stewardship. OTSS data has been analysed and utilized to strengthen various aspects of malaria care...
Malaria is the largest contributor to morbidity and mortality in Uganda. Severe malaria accounts for 15–20% of hospital admissions and an average of 6% of malaria cases were hospitalized in 2023. Delayed treatment of uncomplicated malaria cases is a major contributor to disease progression to severe form that may result in complications or death. The ‘24,2 Hours Initiative...
Seasonal malaria chemoprevention (SMC) has been recommended by the World Health Organization since 2012 for eligible children in areas where malaria transmission is highly seasonal and intense. By 2024, SMC had been successfully implemented in all 21 eligible states in Nigeria. Given this widespread implementation, there has been increasing interest in understanding the impact of...
Malaria remains a global public health issue, with almost 2.5 million cases and more than 0.6 million deaths each year, of which women and children remain disproportionately affected. Insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) are a cornerstone of malaria prevention in endemic malaria regions. Malaria messages (MM) are intended for positive and measurable social, attitude, and behavioural...
Malaria remains a major public health concern in Ghana, but regional variations in clinical presentation, parasitaemia, anaemia, and preventive measure uptake are not well characterized. This study assessed these parameters across three ecological zones. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 459 participants in Ho (forest zone), Keta (coastal zone), and Nkwanta (savannah...
Molecular malaria diagnostic approaches present high sensitivity and detect submicroscopic parasitaemia in a patient. However, molecular techniques like polymerase chain reaction are costly, require specific equipment and the reaction read-out interpretation can require extensive experience. Hence, a simple and user-friendly loop mediated isothermal amplification molecular...
Malaria remains a major health issue worldwide, and has long been a challenging threat in Sudan. This study aims to provide analysis of malaria prevalence, incidence, and associated fever incidence and deaths, shedding light on the evolving burden of the disease in Sennar State, Sudan, to contribute valuable data to the global understanding of malaria epidemiology. A descriptive...
Malaria rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) have been critical in promoting the rational use of antimalarials and strengthening malaria surveillance. However, the accuracy of routinely reported RDT results in Uganda remains unclear. The study’s objective was to measure the level of agreement between healthcare workers (HCWs) and an external panel’s RDT results among lower-level public...
Malaria remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality among children under five years in sub-Saharan Africa, despite extensive public health efforts. Its transmission is influenced by a complex interaction of socioeconomic, environmental, maternal, and child health factors. Traditional analytic approaches often fail to capture these multifaceted relationships. This study...
Malaria remains a major health concern in Nigeria. Rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) are widely used in health facilities to confirm malaria before treatment. However, concerns remain about healthcare workers (HCWs) adherence to, and reporting of test results. This study assessed the accuracy of RDT results recorded in health facility registers in two states of Nigeria by comparing...
Despite increased malaria interventions, the Upper River Region of The Gambia still faces a higher malaria burden compared to other parts of the country. This issue may be related to the population’s knowledge of malaria, as well as environmental and socioeconomic factors that influence their prevention and treatment choices. Therefore, this study focused on assessing the level...
Intermittent preventive treatment of malaria in pregnancy (IPTp-SP) is an important strategy for preventing malaria in pregnant women and their unborn children. Ghana has adopted IPTp-SP as part of its National Malaria Control Programme, but its uptake remains suboptimal. This study examined the association between adequacy of antenatal care (ANC) and the uptake of at least three...