30 September 2021 – Roundup of articles and publications on the latest innovations in malaria, polio, lymphatic filariasis, and onchocerciasis

30 September 2021 – 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.

Diagnostic Testing & Treatment

• Kew Gardens discovers South American plants could cure malaria – Link
• Malaria Consortium conducts first ever study to establish acceptability and feasibility of SMC outside the Sahel – Link to article | Link to paper
• Plasmodium falciparum is evolving to escape malaria rapid diagnostic tests in Ethiopia – Link to article | Link to paper

Data

• Modeling the levels, trends, and connectivity of malaria transmission using genomic data from a health facility in Thiès, Senegal – Link

Drug and Vaccine Development

• New vaccine platform can better induce anti-malaria immunity in the liver – Link to article | Link to paper
• Assessing the immunogenicity of three different inactivated polio vaccine schedules for use after oral polio vaccine cessation, an open label, phase IV, randomized controlled trial – Link
• New proteasome inhibitors show antimalarial promise – Link to article | Link to paper
• Novartis drug raises hope of tackling malaria drug resistance – Link
• Calls for fast-track malaria vaccine approval to save hundreds of thousands of lives – Link

Drug Resistance

• Resistance to front-line malaria drugs confirmed in Africa – Link to article | Link to paper

Immunisation

• National polio immunization drive continues – Link
• Polio vaccination drive ongoing in Balochistan on third day – Link
• Serum institute to supply inactivated polio vaccine to centre for universal immunisation programme – Link
• Polio vaccination drive begins across Pakistan – Link

Elimination Progress

• Africa: From coast to coast – African countries commit to ending all forms of polio – Link
• China eliminated malaria. Could it be a model for the rest of the world? – Link
• Papua New Guinea steps up efforts to eliminate lymphatic filariasis – Link

Surveillance

• IPC re-designated as WHO collaborating centre for pharmacovigilance in public health programmes in LMIC – Link

Outbreak

• Health confirms 15 cases of malaria on the border with Nicaragua – Link

Other

• Researchers quantify the risk of children suffering severe outcomes from malaria – Link
• Create volunteers to encourage MDA for filaria-free Bihar: Health minister – Hindustan Times – Link
• The wider societal benefits of surgical interventions for lymphatic filariasis morbidity management and disability prevention – Link
• Neglected tropical diseases: 2020 preventive chemotherapy treatment coverage declines due to COVID-19 disruptions – Link to article | Link to paper
• Innovation & Inequity – Link to report
• Rethinking malaria in the Context to COVID-19 – Link
• Implementation of mass drug administration for neglected tropical diseases in Guinea during the COVID-19 pandemic – Link
• Assessing factors influencing communities’ acceptability of mass drug administration for the elimination of lymphatic filariasis in Guyana – Link

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