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

30 June 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

• How genetically modified mosquitoes could eradicate malaria – Link
• Estimating malaria transmission risk through surveillance of human–vector interactions in northern Ghana – Link

Diagnostic testing and treatment

• Pharmacokinetics of ivermectin metabolites and their activity against Anopheles stephensi mosquitoes – Link
• Cancer drugs show potential in fight against malaria – Link | Link to Paper

Drug and vaccine development

• Malaria infection may be prevented by novel molecule – Link | Link to Paper

Data

• Malaria’s modelling problem – Link
• Comparing field-collected versus remotely-sensed variables to model malaria risk in the highlands of western Uganda – Link
• Geo-tracking system enhances polio response in Congo – Link 

Drug resistance

• Malaria deaths fall, but vector resistance to insecticides a worrying trend – Link

Immunisation

• Bill Gates commits $7bn to support immunization against polio in Africa – Link
• Anti-polio campaign to begin in KP as environmental samples test positive – Link

Elimination progress

• Belize becomes second Central American country to be certified malaria-free by WHO – Link
• Malaria in Brazil: Elimination by 2030 a country priority – Link 

Outbreak

• 5 people have acquired malaria in the US. They’re the first in 20 years. – Link

Climate and Health

• Five questions for African countries that want to build climate-resilient health systems – Link
• In-depth: How climate change affects health in Africa: – Link
• Why climate change health policy needs ethics to achieve health equity and climate justice—a call to action – Link
• Robust health systems could stem climate-related rising cases of malaria – Link
• Strengthening health system responses to climate risks in multilateral processes – Link
• Effects of climate change on soil health resulting in an increased global spread of neglected tropical diseases – Link

Other

• Association between altered cognition and Loa loa microfilaremia: First evidence from a cross-sectional study in a rural area of the Republic of Congo – Link
• The intersecting challenges of conflict- and climate-related internal displacement for neglected tropical disease programmes. – Link | Link to Paper
• Impact of a bi-annual community-directed treatment with ivermectin programme on the incidence of epilepsy in an onchocerciasis-endemic area of Mahenge, Tanzania: A population-based prospective study – Link
• Monetary value of disability-adjusted life years and potential productivity losses associated with neglected tropical diseases in the East African community – Link
• Response to Vaccine-Derived Polioviruses detected through environmental surveillance, Guatemala, 2019 – Link
• Malaria: highlights from research – Link
• Pandemic paralysis: COVID-19 halts neglected tropical disease campaigns, study reveals solutions – Link | Link to Paper
• A new toolkit for WASH programmes – Link
• ADNIC announces strategic partnership with Reach campaign – Link | Link to Paper
• A systematic review of mixed studies on malaria in Colombia 1980–2022: what the “bifocal vision” discovers – Link
• The epic story of our best malaria drug – Link
• Disorient malaria parasite to prevent harm – Link | Link to Paper

 

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