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Rahi M, Sharma A. For Malaria Elimination, India Needs to Integrate Its Research and Control Arms. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2024; 111:226-229. [PMID: 38889711 PMCID: PMC11310619 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.24-0011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2024] [Accepted: 03/05/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024] Open
Abstract
India has targeted malaria elimination by 2030. The national malaria control program has positioned its strategies in this direction. Substantial support in the form of dynamic research inputs leading to policy formulation and change is needed to steer the country towards malaria elimination. Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), India's nodal research body, has been generating evidence and helping to frame several policies ranging from malaria management to vector control operations. Since the country is preparing for malaria elimination, the connection between the programmatic needs and the research agenda needs further strengthening. Typically, the national malaria control program handles the implementation of programmatic activities, while the national research body, ICMR, conducts research studies to generate evidence. We propose a virtual integration of the activities conducted by these two entities to maximize the potential for translating research findings into programmatic policies. Joint monitoring of drug and insecticide resistance, codevelopment and utilization of more innovative surveillance systems, data-backed mitigation responses, and overcoming last-mile challenges are reasons for the virtual amalgamation of the two bodies. Timely translation of research outputs into policy, co-opting of workforce and material resources, joint capacity building, and synergistic advocacy are benefits of the proposed new alliance for more efficient operations. The close functioning will provide impetus to narrow down current gaps and disrupt traditional barriers, galvanizing the country toward malaria elimination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manju Rahi
- Vector Control Research Centre, Indian Council of Medical Research, Puducherry, India
| | - Amit Sharma
- International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, New Delhi, India
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de Oliveira EC, Dos Santos ES, Junior PAF, Atanaka-Santos M, Leite MCP, Terças ACP, de Lemos ERS, Fontes CJF. Epidemiological profile of malaria in a rural community in the Amazon, Mato Grosso State, Brazil, 2011. Malar J 2024; 23:234. [PMID: 39103843 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-024-05033-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2023] [Accepted: 06/29/2024] [Indexed: 08/07/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND More than 95% of malaria transmission in Brazil occurs in the Legal Amazon Region, which in 2010 recorded around 333,429 cases reported in the Epidemiological Surveillance Information System-Malaria (Sivep_malaria), presenting an annual parasitic incidence (IPA) of 13.1 cases/1000 inhabitants. METHODS This was a descriptive study that measured the community prevalence of Plasmodium infection and its relationship with land use in Três Fronteiras District, Colniza Municipality, Mato Grosso State. Data were collected during household visits in July 2011, with blood collection from finger pricks for the preparation of thick smear slides, and completion of a standardized case notification form. A georeferenced database was analysed, with land use evaluated as categorical variables. A kernel density map was built to show the density of cases and their location. RESULTS Of the 621 respondents, 68(11%) had Plasmodium infection: 39 (57.4%) with Plasmodium vivax, 27(39.7%) with Plasmodium falciparum and two (2.9%) with mixed infections. Among infected individuals, 49 (72.1%) were men. Cases of malaria were distributed over the district, with greater occurrence of cases per household in open areas close to the mining company and artisanal mining sites. The was a greater density of cases located in the gold mining region. CONCLUSION Transmission of malaria in Três Fronteiras District has a heterogeneous distribution. Individuals residing in mining and timber extraction sites have increased occurrence of Plasmodium infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elaine Cristina de Oliveira
- School of Medicine, University Hospital Júlio Müller, Federal University of Mato Grosso, Rua Dr. Luiz Philippe Pereira Leite s/n, Bairro Alvorada, Cuiabá, MT, 78.048-902, Brazil
| | - Emerson Soares Dos Santos
- Geography Department, Federal University of Mato Grosso, Av. Fernando Corrêa da Costa 2367, Bairro Boa Esperança, Cuiabá, MT, 78.060-900, Brazil
| | - Paulo Antonio Ferreira Junior
- School of Medicine, University Hospital Júlio Müller, Federal University of Mato Grosso, Rua Dr. Luiz Philippe Pereira Leite s/n, Bairro Alvorada, Cuiabá, MT, 78.048-902, Brazil
| | - Marina Atanaka-Santos
- Institute of Collective Health, Federal University of Mato Grosso, Av. Fernando Corrêa da Costa 2367, Bairro Boa Esperança, Cuiabá, MT, 78.060-900, Brazil
| | - Maria Clara Pereira Leite
- Institute of Collective Health, Federal University of Mato Grosso, Av. Fernando Corrêa da Costa 2367, Bairro Boa Esperança, Cuiabá, MT, 78.060-900, Brazil
| | - Ana Cláudia Pereira Terças
- Nursing Department, State University of Mato Grosso, MT 358 S\N, Bairro Jardim Industrial, Tangará da Serra, MT, 78300-000, Brazil
| | | | - Cor Jesus Fernandes Fontes
- School of Medicine, University Hospital Júlio Müller, Federal University of Mato Grosso, Rua Dr. Luiz Philippe Pereira Leite s/n, Bairro Alvorada, Cuiabá, MT, 78.048-902, Brazil
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Ranjha R, Sontee, Yadav CP, Mohan M, Singh K, Kumar J, Bharti PK, Anvikar AR. Time to implement tailored interventions in Chhattisgarh, east-central India to reach malaria elimination. J Vector Borne Dis 2024; 61:151-157. [PMID: 38922649 DOI: 10.4103/jvbd.jvbd_167_23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2023] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 06/27/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND OBJECTIVES Despite significant progress in malaria control throughout India, Chhattisgarh state continues to be a significant contributor to both malaria morbidity and mortality. This study aims to identify key factors associated with malaria endemicity, with a goal of focusing on these factors for malaria elimination by 2030. METHODS We employed an analysis and narrative review methodology to summarize the existing evidence on malaria epidemiology in Chhattisgarh. Data encompassing environmental conditions, dominant malaria vectors and their distribution, and the impact of previous interventions on malaria control, were extracted from published literature using PubMed and Google Scholar. This information was subsequently correlated with malaria incidence data using appropriate statistical and geographical methods. RESULTS Much of the malaria burden in Chhattisgarh state is concentrated in a few specific districts. The primary malaria vectors in these regions are Anopheles culicifacies and An. fluviatilis. High transmission areas are found in tribal belts which are challenging to access and are characterized by densely forested areas that provide a conducive habitat for malaria vectors. INTERPRETATION CONCLUSION Conducive environmental conditions characterized by high forest cover, community behavior, and insurgency, contribute to high malaria endemicity in the area. Challenges include insecticide resistance in malaria vectors and asymptomatic malaria. Allocating additional resources to high-endemic districts is crucial. Innovative and focused malaria control programs of the country, such as DAMAN and Malaria Mukt Abhiyan, hold immense importance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ritesh Ranjha
- ICMR-National Institute of Malaria Research, New Delhi, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, India
| | - Sontee
- ICMR-National Institute of Malaria Research, New Delhi, India
| | | | - Mradul Mohan
- ICMR-National Institute of Malaria Research, New Delhi, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, India
| | - Kuldeep Singh
- ICMR-National Institute of Malaria Research, New Delhi, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, India
| | - Jitendra Kumar
- National Center for Vector Borne Disease Control, Chhattisgarh, India
| | - Praveen Kumar Bharti
- ICMR-National Institute of Malaria Research, New Delhi, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, India
| | - Anup R Anvikar
- ICMR-National Institute of Malaria Research, New Delhi, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, India
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Kumar A, Singh PP, Tyagi S, Hari Kishan Raju K, Sahu SS, Rahi M. Vivax malaria: a possible stumbling block for malaria elimination in India. Front Public Health 2024; 11:1228217. [PMID: 38259757 PMCID: PMC10801037 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1228217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Plasmodium vivax is geographically the most widely dispersed human malaria parasite species. It has shown resilience and a great deal of adaptability. Genomic studies suggest that P. vivax originated from Asia or Africa and moved to the rest of the world. Although P. vivax is evolutionarily an older species than Plasmodium falciparum, its biology, transmission, pathology, and control still require better elucidation. P. vivax poses problems for malaria elimination because of the ability of a single primary infection to produce multiple relapses over months and years. P. vivax malaria elimination program needs early diagnosis, and prompt and complete radical treatment, which is challenging, to simultaneously exterminate the circulating parasites and dormant hypnozoites lodged in the hepatocytes of the host liver. As prompt surveillance and effective treatments are rolled out, preventing primaquine toxicity in the patients having glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency should be a priority for the vivax elimination program. This review sheds light on the burden of P. vivax, changing epidemiological patterns, the hurdles in elimination efforts, and the essential tools needed not just in India but globally. These tools encompass innovative treatments for eliminating dormant parasites, coping with evolving drug resistance, and the development of potential vaccines against the parasite.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashwani Kumar
- ICMR - Vector Control Research Centre, Puducherry, India
| | | | - Suchi Tyagi
- ICMR - Vector Control Research Centre, Puducherry, India
| | | | | | - Manju Rahi
- ICMR - Vector Control Research Centre, Puducherry, India
- Indian Council of Medical Research, Hqrs New Delhi, India
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