28 February 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.

Diagnostic testing and treatment

  • RAT test for ‘hidden’ malaria one step closer to development – Link
  • Assessment of the drugability of initial malaria infection through miniaturized sporozoite assays and high-throughput screening – Link

Data

  • Contextual determinants of mass drug administration performance: Modelling fourteen years of lymphatic filariasis treatments in West Africa – Link
  • Evaluating elimination thresholds and stopping criteria for interventions against the vector-borne macroparasitic disease, lymphatic filariasis, using mathematical modelling – Link
  • Climatic, land-use and socio-economic factors can predict malaria dynamics at fine spatial scales relevant to local health actors: Evidence from rural Madagascar – Link

Immunisation

  • Over 33 million children vaccinated against wild poliovirus in southern Africa  – Link
  • African leaders call for urgent action to revitalize routine immunization – Link
  • Over 1.1m vaccinated against polio – Link
  • Botswana: Oral Polio Vaccination Campaign – Link

Surveillance

  • Wastewater offers clues to emerging diseases – Link

Elimination progress

  • Choosing the Right Path toward Polio Eradication – Link

Climate and Health

  • Climate change has pushed malaria mosquitoes to find dangerous new ground – Link | Link to Paper

Other

  • Alarm as researchers discover a dangerous malaria vector in Kenya – Link
  • Ethiopia commemorates World Neglected Tropical Diseases Day with the resonating call to accelerate action to end the needless suffering of the most vulnerable – Link
  • Challenges of implementation of the preventive chemotherapy neglected tropical diseases programme in Ghana – Link
  • Let’s redouble efforts to eradicate all neglected tropical diseases – Link
  • Young people key in the fight against NTDs – Link

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