31 March 2022 – 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

  • New bed nets that ‘ground’ mosquitoes could boost malaria fight – Link | Link to Paper
  • Modelling new insecticide-treated bed nets for malaria-vector control: how to strategically manage resistance? – Link

Diagnostic testing and treatment

  • Higher dose primaquine prevents relapse of P. vivax malaria, study finds – Link | Link to Paper
  • New children’s malaria treatment clears out infection in liver – Link
  • Malaria positivity following a single oral dose of azithromycin among children in Burkina Faso: a randomized controlled trial – Link

Data

  • Step-change in malaria vector identification has impact potential for other diseases – Link | Link to Paper
  • Sub-national tailoring of malaria interventions in Mainland Tanzania: simulation of the impact of strata-specific intervention combinations using modelling – Link

Drug and vaccine development

  • Innovation at work: reflections from Malawi on the world’s first malaria vaccine, RTS,S, in childhood vaccination – Link

Drug resistance

  • Malaria chemoprevention and drug resistance: a review of the literature and policy implications – Link

Immunisation

  • Video features PharmaJet needle-free polio immunization campaign – Link
  • Citing ‘outbreak,’ Health Ministry to launch polio vaccination drive, official says – Link
  • Malawi, neighbors to begin mass vaccination campaigns against polio – Link
  • Second round of polio vaccination to kick off in The Gambia – Link

Elimination progress

  • Innovate to eliminate: community-focused malaria interventions in Cambodia and Lao People’s Democratic Republic – Link

Climate change

  • Malaria cases set to rise due to climate change – Link

Other

  • WHO encourages African leaders to address malaria challenges – Link
  • African Union pledges to end neglected tropical diseases by 2030 – Link
  • Rare cases of filarial chyluria in children – Link
  • UC San Diego lab receives $1.4M grant to fight malaria – Link
  • Letter to malaria partners – Link
  • Somalia ‘Call to Action’ Summit for Polio – Link
  • Pandemic restrictions provide insights into how human movement affects vector-borne diseases – Link
  • Anti-Malaria drugs can also fight non-tuberculous mycobacteria infections – Link | Link to Paper
  • One Health is critical to addressing zoonotic public health threats and environmental issues  – Link
  • WHO Director-General’s opening remarks at the Guinea Worm Ministerial Summit – 21 March 2022 – Link
  • Ministry targeting five neglected diseases – Link
  • Hard-to-reach populations exist not only in remote areas but also cities – Link
  • How Covid has affected the control of neglected tropical diseases – Link
  • IVI welcomes the United Arab Emirates as its 37th member state with flag-raising ceremony – Link

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