5 July 2021-Roundup of articles and publications on onchocerciasis, lymphatic filariasis, malaria, polio, and NTDs

5 July 2021 – Below we provide an overview of some articles and publications over the last quarter related to our diseases of focus, currently onchocerciasis, lymphatic filariasis, polio, and malaria, as well as on NTDs more broadly. This roundup is a sampling of some of the articles we found interesting over the past few months, and we hope you read something of interest.

Onchocerciasis

• The elusive elimination of river blindness
• Genomic Epidemiology in Filarial Nematodes: Transforming the Basis for Elimination Program Decisions
• Scaling-Down Mass Ivermectin Treatment for Onchocerciasis Elimination: Modeling the Impact of the Geographical Unit for Decision Making
• Drugs that target early stages of Onchocerca volvulus: A revisited means to facilitate the elimination goals for onchocerciasis
• Onchocerciasis: diagnostic target product profile to support preventive chemotherapy
• The impact of ivermectin on onchocerciasis in villages co-endemic for lymphatic filariasis in an area of onchocerciasis recrudescence in Burkina Faso
• Serious adverse reactions associated with ivermectin: A systematic pharmacovigilance study in sub-Saharan Africa and in the rest of the World
• Eliminating onchocerciasis within the Meme River Basin of Cameroon: A social-ecological approach to understanding everyday realities and health systems
• Progress towards onchocerciasis elimination in Côte d’Ivoire: A geospatial modelling study
• Onchocerciasis control in Ghana (1974–2016)

Lymphatic Filariasis

• A triple-drug treatment regimen to accelerate elimination of lymphatic filariasis: From conception to delivery
• Alternative approaches to lymphoedema care in lymphatic filariasis
• An open label, randomized clinical trial to compare the tolerability and efficacy of ivermectin plus diethylcarbamazine and albendazole vs. diethylcarbamazine plus albendazole for treatment of brugian filariasis in Indonesia
• A multicenter, community-based, mixed methods assessment of the acceptability of a triple drug regimen for elimination of lymphatic filariasis
• Modelling the Impact of Vector Control on Lymphatic Filariasis Programs: Current Approaches and Limitations
• Progress towards elimination of lymphatic filariasis in the Americas region
• Two decades of public health achievements in lymphatic filariasis (2000–2020): reflections, progress and future challenges
• Setting the stage for a Global Programme to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis: the first 125 years (1875–2000)

Polio

• GPEI Strategy 2022-2026
• Polio eradication at the crossroads
• Polio in Afghanistan: a changing landscape
• Eradicating polio in Pakistan: a systematic review of programs and policies
• National Emergency Action Plan 2021, Polio Eradication Initiative, Afghanistan

Malaria

• WHO Guidelines for malaria
• Zeroing in on malaria elimination: Final report of the E-2020 initiative
• Messenger RNA expressing PfCSP induces functional, protective immune responses against malaria in mice
• Two chemoattenuated PfSPZ malaria vaccines induce sterile hepatic immunity
• WHO issues new guidance for research on genetically modified mosquitoes to fight malaria and other vector-borne diseases
• Some lessons for malaria from the Global Polio Eradication Initiative
• From 30 million to zero malaria cases in China: lessons learned for China-Africa collaboration in malaria elimination
• Sources of persistent malaria transmission in a setting with effective malaria control in eastern Uganda: a longitudinal, observational cohort study
• El Salvador’s malaria elimination success story

NTDs

• WHO’s 2021–2030 roadmap for neglected tropical diseases
• The World Health Organization’s road map for neglected tropical diseases 2021–2030: implications for onchocerciasis elimination programs
• Community-directed distributors—The “foot soldiers” in the fight to control and eliminate neglected tropical diseases
• Ending the neglect to attain the Sustainable Development Goals: A road map for neglected tropical diseases 2021–2030
• Strengthening data collection for neglected tropical diseases: What data are needed for models to better inform tailored intervention programmes?
• Baseline Mapping of Neglected Tropical Diseases in Africa: The Accelerated WHO/AFRO Mapping Project