30 May 2024 – 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

  • Considerations for first field trials of low-threshold gene drive for malaria vector control – Link
  • Evaluating human landing catches as a measure of mosquito biting and the importance of considering additional modes of action – Link

Diagnostic testing and treatment

  • A digital microscope for the diagnosis of Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax, including P. falciparum with hrp2/hrp3 deletion – Link
  • Optimizing test and treat options for vivax malaria: An options assessment toolkit (OAT) for Asia Pacific national malaria control programs – Link
  • Experts call for new tools to diagnose vector-borne diseases – Link

Data

  • WHO’s new SkinNTD approves effective in training healthcare workers for neglected tropical diseases – Link | Link to Paper

Drug and vaccine development

  • New antibiotic against river blindness and lymphatic filariasis pathogens – Link

Drug resistance

  • Scientists identify mechanism behind drug resistance in malaria parasite – Link | Link to Paper
  • Combating antimicrobial resistance in malaria, HIV and tuberculosis – Link

Immunisation

  • Immunogenicity evaluation of primary polio vaccination schedule with inactivated poliovirus vaccines and bivalent oral poliovirus vaccine – Link
  • Bridging the gap to accelerate malaria vaccination rollout in Africa through experience sharing. – Link
  • First Doses of R21/Matrix-M™ Malaria Vaccine Shipped to Africa – Link
  • Polio vaccination in Angola – A duty and a sign of love – Link

Surveillance

  • Timely outbreak response, enhanced surveillance halts wild poliovirus transmission in Southern Africa – Link

Elimination progress

  • New polio vaccines are key to preventing outbreaks and achieving eradication – Link
  • Re-evaluating approaches to malaria elimination in Africa: prioritising partnerships for progress – Link
  • Malaria epidemiology, surveillance and response for elimination in Lao PDR – Link
  • Sierra Leone reaches historic milestone as malaria vaccination launched – Link
  • Africa can eliminate neglected tropical diseases – Link
  • Global report on neglected tropical diseases 2024: executive summary – Link

Outbreak

  • Angola – Polio DREF Operation (MDRAO009) – Link

Climate and Health

  • Why pregnancy triples your chances of getting severe malaria— How to protect mothers and babies as warming temperatures expand the risk of contracting the disease – Link
  • Climate health research blind spots threaten WHO’s climate agenda, experts warn – Link
  • Climate change causes malaria cases to triple in northwest Pakistan – Link
  • WHO: Climate change could increase spread of diseases – Link
  • New research flags the urgent need for research and evidence on the impact of climate change on neglected tropical diseases and malaria – Link
  • Mapping malaria in Africa: climate change study predicts where mosquitoes will breed in future – Link

Other

  • Cabo Verde minister of health: 5 Steps to eliminate malaria – Link
  • Women at the heart of change in fight against Neglected Tropical Diseases – Link
  • Defining a malaria diagnostic pathway from innovation to adoption: Stakeholder perspectives on data and evidence gaps – Link
  • Understanding how neglected tropical diseases programs in five Asia-Pacific countries adjusted to the COVID-19 pandemic: A qualitative study – Link
  • Ghana Health Service urges ministries to team up against NTDs – Link
  • Guiding principles for prioritizing malaria interventions in resource-constrained country contexts to achieve maximum impact – Link
  • Trained health workers to conduct the Ivermectin, Diethylcarbamazine and Albendazole (IDA) Impact Survey in East New Britain, and the survey kicked off – Link
  • Shifting patterns and competing explanations for infectious disease priority in global health agenda setting arenas – Link

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