14 March 2023 – Below we feature a compilation of headlines, scientific articles, and technical reports on innovations, R&D and elimination progress towards polio, malaria, onchocerciasis, and lymphatic filariasis. We will be publishing these updates bi-weekly and hope they are useful.

Vector Control

  • WHO publishes recommendations on two new types of insecticide-treated nets – Link | Link to Paper
  • Laboratory evaluation of the efficacy of deltamethrin-laced attractive toxic sugar bait formulation on Anopheles stephensi – Link

 Diagnostic testing and treatment

  • The pipeline for drugs for control and elimination of neglected tropical diseases: 1. Anti-infective drugs for regulatory registration – Link
  • A large LSTM-led trial confirms new antimalarial, dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine, is more effective at preventing malaria than current WHO recommended treatment but does not improve adverse birth outcomes – Link | Link to Paper

Drug resistance

  • Fine-scale spatial distribution of deltamethrin resistance and population structure of Anopheles funestus and Anopheles arabiensis populations in Southern Mozambique – Link
  • Species composition and insecticide resistance in malaria vectors in Ellibou, southern Côte d’Ivoire and first finding of Anopheles arabiensis in Côte d’Ivoire – Link 

Immunisation

  • Over 21m children to be vaccinated in March polio campaign – Link
  • Taliban launches annual polio vaccination drive in Afghanistan – Link
  • Kenya rolls out vaccination campaign against malaria – Link
  • Cuba advances in domestic oral Polio vaccination campaign – Link

Elimination progress

  • Eastern Mediterranean health leaders call for redoubled efforts for a defining year for polio – Link
  • Polio eradication is possible only through ensuring the highest possible vaccination coverage worldwide and maintaining it indefinitely – Link
  •  Eliminating malaria in Lao PDR: 460 000 to 2300 cases in 25 years – Link

Outbreak

  • Statement on stopping transmission of VDPV2 in Yemen’s northern governorates and in Somalia – Link
  •  Global Polio Eradication Initiative commends Mozambique’s outbreak response – Link
  •  Three more children diagnosed with polio virus in northern outbreak – Link

Climate and Health

  • Ahead of Cop28, health must be at the centre of climate investment – Link
  • Why COP28 must be a health COP – Link
  •  Climate change is causing malaria to resurface in countries like Greece, summit hears – Link
  •  Climate and Health – World Health Day on April 7th – Link
  •  The climate gap and the color line — racial health inequities and climate change – Link
  •  Scientists confirm global floods and droughts worsened by climate change – Link | Link to Paper
  •  Africa needs to be equipped for climate crises – Link
  •  WMO steps up action on climate and health – Link

Other

  • New research sheds light on how malaria parasites adapt to their human hosts – Link | Link to Paper
  •  Notice of collaboration agreement for the discovery and development of novel malaria drugs with Nagasaki University and MMV, supported by the GHIT Fund – Link
  •  Non-falciparum malaria infection and IgG seroprevalence among children under 15 years in Nigeria, 2018 – Link
  •  Study points to standing genetic variation in formation of malaria mosquito groups – Link | Link to Paper
  •  Integrated malaria prevention in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review – Link
  •  Global report on neglected tropical diseases 2023: executive summary – Link

Please contact us with comments and feedback.