Leading international research collaborations support the drive toward elimination

However, malaria still remains one of the most devastating diseases. Last year alone, there were approximately 214 million infections and 438,000 deaths associated with malaria, primarily in children under the age of five in sub-Saharan Africa.

Many people agree that the only way to tackle malaria infection is through a concerted effort across many different disciplines: healthcare, research, policy, community engagement etc.

Recently, representatives from five different research groups and networks came together to talk about how collaboration is helping to tackle malaria infection across the world, bringing us closer to the end goal of global elimination. The Oxford-based event highlighted the importance of innovative research initiatives that address the challenges and roadblocks to malaria elimination.

Prof Dominic Kwiatkowski, Director of MalariaGEN, a scientific network that connects researchers and clinicians in malaria-endemic countries with cutting-edge DNA sequencing technologies and genomic research, spoke about how advances in sequencing technology are providing us with more and more information. “Current maps are based on the number of people infected but there are knowledge gaps in what’s happening within the parasite population.”

He explained that with these advances in genomic technology, we’ll soon be able to delve into specific behaviour patterns of parasite populations which will help inform prevention and elimination strategies. Prof Kwiatkowski stated that setting realistic goals and roadmaps would help to make malaria elimination a reality.

The Malaria Atlas Project (MAP) brings together researchers based around the world with expertise in a wide range of disciplines from public health to mathematics, geography and epidemiology to generate new and innovative methods of mapping malaria risk. Dr Katherine Battle represented MAP by discussing the groups’ development in understanding the distribution of Plasmodium vivax infection, the lesser-understood malaria parasite.

“As things progress towards elimination and strong control, we get better at finding and recording malaria cases.” This move towards case reduction and control in many countries has allowed the MAP team to develop more fine scale resolution maps that stratify malaria to enable global health institutions and governments to refine their malaria control strategies and a move towards elimination.

Prof Philippe Guérin from the WorldWide Antimalarial Research Network gave an overview of the history of antimalarial drug resistance. He highlighted how history is repeating itself with the emergence of resistance to the current first line treatments against falciparum malaria, the artemisinin derivatives, in many countries in Southeast Asia. Prof Guerin emphasized the danger of this becoming a major roadblock to elimination and that has the potential to undo much of the progress achieved in malaria control over the past decade. “We need to collectively react to the threat of antimalarial drug resistance and ensure that artemisinin combination therapies remain efficacious for as long as possible as we currently have no other alternative. Maintaining the efficacy of these drugs is essential.”

The panel were asked whether they felt positively or negatively about the feasibility of malaria elimination in the future. The overall perception was of cautious optimism. They felt elimination was possible but many obstacles are currently slowing the pace of our progress.

Dr Sumi Biswas from the Jenner Institute discussed how their work to develop an efficacious malaria vaccine will go a long way in reducing the number of people who fall ill and die from malaria, strengthening elimination efforts across malaria endemic regions. Prof Nick White, from the Mahidol-Oxford Research Unit (MORU) in Thailand, described the challenges of bureaucracy, institutional frameworks and corruption. He stressed that it will only be possible to eliminate malaria through tackling these problems head-on through international collaborations.

The overall consensus from the discussion was that elimination of malaria is a huge undertaking. It will need increased investment and collaboration across many different fields. This event emphasised how the teams and networks based at the University of Oxford are working collaboratively both within the University and across the globe through a network of partners to tackle a variety of different challenges, which collectively will support progress toward malaria elimination.

To watch the full version of the talks, visit the WWARN website.

To discover this year’s World Malaria Day campaign, visit WMD RBM campaign website.