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

29 July 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.

 

Vector Control

• Mosquitoes spread malaria. These researchers want them to fight it instead – Link | Link to Paper

Diagnostic testing and treatment

• Novel noninvasive test for malaria does not require a blood sample – Link
• Diagnostic performance of PfHRP2/pLDH malaria rapid diagnostic tests in elimination setting, northwest Ethiopia – Link

 Drug resistance

• Antimalarial mass drug administration in large populations and the evolution of drug resistance – Link

Immunisation

• Temporal and spatial distribution trends of polio vaccine coverage in less than one-year old children in Brazil, 2011–2021 – Link

Surveillance

• Africa CDC, WHO and RKI Launch a Health Security Partnership to Strengthen Disease Surveillance in Africa – Link 

Elimination progress

• WHO: Afghanistan, Pakistan Close to eradicating Polio – Link
• Status of Onchocerciasis elimination in Gabon and challenges: a systematic review – Link
• Mekong Malaria Elimination: epidemiology summary, volume 21, January–March 2023 – Link
• How to avoid causing polio in the name of its eradication – Link

Outbreak

• Outbreak response assessments boost polio preparedness, one health facility at a time – Link 

Climate and Health  

• Amid climate change, mosquitoes migrate; will malaria follow? – Link

Other

• Individual longitudinal compliance to neglected tropical disease mass drug administration programmes, a systematic review – Link
• Impact of malaria diagnostic choice on monitoring of Plasmodium falciparum prevalence estimates in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and relevance to control programs in high-burden countries – Link
• Malaria diagnosis in rural healthcare facilities and treatment-seeking behavior in malaria endemic settings in western Kenya – Link
• Applying community health systems lenses to identify determinants of access to surgery among mobile & migrant populations with hydrocele in Zambia: A mixed methods assessment – Link
• Unite, act, eliminate: Mobilising Africa’s response against neglected tropical diseases – Link
• The malaria blood stage antigen PfCyRPA formulated with the TLR-4 agonist adjuvant GLA-SE elicits parasite growth inhibitory antibodies in experimental animals – Link

 

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