Although malaria is the leading killer of children under the age of five in Burundi, limited evidence on the associated costs are available. This study estimates the cost per malaria episode from the household, health system, and societal perspectives for children under the age of five in Burundi.

Recent epidemiological data indicate that 30-50% of all malaria infections are asymptomatic, with parasite densities below the limit of detection of standard diagnostic tests. A highly sensitive rapid diagnostic test (hsRDT) was developed to detect these low-density Plasmodium falciparum infections. This study evaluated the diagnostic performance of both hsRDTs and conventional RDTs (cRDT) in reactive case detection (RACD) activities among individuals (contacts) living and/or working in proximity to an "index case" in Ann Township in Rakhine State, Myanmar.

In June 2019, the Uganda Ministry of Health, through routine surveillance data analysis, was notified of an increase in malaria cases in Mbale District, which exceeded the outbreak action thresholds. This investigation was conducted to assess the magnitude of the outbreak, identify transmission risk factors, and recommend evidence-based control measures.

Burkina Faso has conducted regular therapeutic efficacy monitoring of artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) since its introduction in the early 2000s. Since 2008, artemether-lumefantrine (AL), the most widely used ACT to treat uncomplicated malaria, has shown reduced efficacy in Burkina Faso. To inform national case management policy, investigators conducted a therapeutic efficacy study in 2020-2021.

Radical cure with an 8-aminoquinoline is required to prevent relapses from Plasmodium vivax. Single-dose treatment with tafenoquine offers significant advantages over primaquine, but the amount of tafenoquine excreted in breastmilk is unknown. As tafenoquine can cause serious haemolysis in G6PD deficient individuals, the amount of drug in breastmilk must be determined in order to advise on safe and effective treatment for lactating women.

Mosquito-borne diseases remain a significant global health burden, prompting continuous efforts to develop effective mosquito control strategies. Use of chemical insecticides has remained a cornerstone in suppressing mosquito vector populations in the past few decades. However, prolonged reliance, uncontrolled use of chemical insecticides and associated selection pressure on vector populations have resulted in the emergence and spread of insecticide resistance (IR), jeopardizing control efforts. This review explores the potential impact of IR on mosquito behaviour along with effects on vectorial capacity, and endosymbiotic microflora and tries to assess its subsequent implications in vector control interventions. It is discussed how IR may indirectly influence vector competence and disease transmission by altering behaviours such as feeding patterns, resting preferences, and host-seeking activity. Understanding these intricate relationships is crucial for developing robust and sustainable vector management strategies that can effectively combat the challenge of VBDs in the face of evolving resistance patterns.

Since 2008, Zanzibar has significantly reduced the prevalence of malaria, keeping it at 1%. However, imported malaria particularly from mainland Tanzania continues to pose a major threat to sustaining these gains, especially on Pemba Island where 67.8% of cases in 2021 were classified as imported. This study analysed malaria cases reported from 2020 to 2022, focusing on epidemiological and spatial trends of imported infections to inform more effective surveillance and response.

Malaria in pregnancy (MiP) poses significant risks in sub-Saharan Africa. Intermittent preventive treatment with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (IPTp-SP) is a key WHO-recommended intervention. However, its implementation faces challenges, particularly in fragile, diverse malaria transmission settings like Somalia, where data on uptake is limited. Critically, a substantial majority of recently pregnant women in Somalia do not access formal antenatal care (ANC) at all, with only ~ 31% attending one or more visits, severely limiting the primary platform for IPTp-SP delivery. This study aimed to identify factors associated with reported use of any sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP/Fansidar) during pregnancy in Somalia, and specifically, factors associated with its uptake within antenatal care (ANC) services, contextualized by the low ANC attendance rates.

Malaria remains a major public health burden in Tanzania, where Plasmodium falciparum accounts for 96% of infections and children under five years experience the highest mortality. The emergence of kelch13 mutations and partial resistance to artemisinin derivatives poses a threat to the sustainability of artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT). Reliance on artemether-lumefantrine (ALU) as the dominant first-line treatment increases selective pressure. The World Health Organization recommends multiple first-line therapies (MFT) to slow the development of resistance. This study examined the barriers, facilitators, and potential strategies for adopting MFT for uncomplicated malaria in Tanzania.

The distribution of insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) through health facilities helps increase and sustain access to ITNs, targeting biologically vulnerable populations. However, their effectiveness in terms of issuance rates has yet to be assessed over time in Tanzania.

A significant portion of malaria transmission occurs outdoors, especially in the Asia-Pacific region. Current capacity to control such outdoor biting and resting mosquitoes is inadequate, and an expanded range of tools to deploy in outdoor situations is required. This paper explores the range of options available, their current status and potential for effective implementation.

The widespread emergence of insecticide resistance in malaria vectors, particularly Anopheles gambiae, poses a significant challenge to malaria control in sub-Saharan Africa. In Burkina Faso, where pyrethroid resistance is driven by both target-site mutations and enhanced metabolic detoxification, the efficacy of key vector control tools such as insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) and indoor residual spraying (IRS) has declined. In response, alternative non-pyrethroid interventions are being implemented. This study investigated the impact of non-pyrethroid IRS and piperonyl butoxide (PBO)-synergist pyrethroid ITNs on insecticide resistance dynamics in An. gambiae populations in Kampti and Gaoua, southwestern Burkina Faso.

Despite the achievements of the Ghana Health Service and its partners in reducing malaria morbidity and mortality in Ghana, the disease still poses a significant public health problem and a huge expenditure on the National Health Insurance Scheme and the economy. This review examined the strategies employed to control malaria in northern Ghana, explored the progress made, and discussed the challenges that persist.

Timely malaria care-seeking and treatment is crucial to prevent severe illness and reduce onward transmission. This study assessed the reported time to care-seeking and identified its associated factors among febrile patients attending community-based malaria facilities in Myanmar and Thailand.

Reports from East and Horn of Africa showed artemisinin resistance is threatening control efforts. The Pfkelch13 (k13) gene mutation in Plasmodium falciparum is essential for tracking artemisinin resistance, which significantly jeopardizes malaria treatment effectiveness. The objective of this study was to assess the occurrence and prevalence of k13 gene polymorphisms at selected public health facilities of Arbaminch and Mirab Abaya, Ethiopia.

Plasmodium-induced malaria infection remains a leading global health threat. Host defense peptides (HDPs), key components of innate immunity, target multiple stages of Plasmodium development through direct antimicrobial activity and immunomodulation. These peptides represent promising agents as antimalarial compounds due to their dual role in directly targeting Plasmodium parasites and modulating host immune responses. Several HDPs, including defensins, cathelicidins, NK-2 peptide, platelet factor 4, macrophage inflammatory protein-3α, and hepcidin play pivotal roles in protecting against malaria infection. However, the roles and specific targets of HDPs in malaria defense remain incompletely understood. This review outlines the key HDPs involved in malaria defense, as well as recent findings about their specific roles towards Plasmodium parasites and infected cells. Furthermore, advancements in understanding HDP interactions with Plasmodium at various infection stages, as well as their roles in modulating the host immune response are discussed. Also, the current limitations in uncovering the full implications of HDPs in malaria infection are highlighted.

Plasmodium falciparum causes the most severe form of malaria in humans, and disease severity is directly linked to parasite proliferation during the erythrocytic cycle. During this cycle, P. falciparum replicates via schizogony. This is an unusual form of asexual replication in which the parasite undergoes alternating asynchronous rounds of DNA replication and nuclear division within a shared cytoplasm, followed by a mass cytokinesis event that produces numerous daughter cells. Despite recent advances in high-throughput, single-molecule techniques, clarity on P. falciparum replication dynamics remains elusive. These dynamics are likely shaped by its highly AT-rich genome and the unique pressures of schizogony. Clarifying the pressures that shape schizogony and DNA replication may reveal parasite-specific vulnerabilities and inform the development of new antimalarials.

Malaria remains a major public health challenge in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean region, transmitted by various Anopheles species. The main objective of this review was to collect the knowledge on the diversity and spatial distribution of malaria vectors in the World Health Organization (WHO) Eastern Mediterranean region.

Insecticide-treated mosquito nets (ITNs) act as an essential tool in malaria prevention by serving as a physical barrier against the disease. In sub-Saharan Africa, the use of ITNs remains a cornerstone in efforts to reduce malaria transmission. Despite their importance, there is limited evidence on ITN utilization and the factors influencing their use in Ethiopia. The objective of this study was to assess utilization of insecticidal treated bed nets and its key factors among Households in resource-limited settings, Northwest, Ethiopia, in 2024.

Indoor residual spraying (IRS) remains a core malaria vector control intervention, but widespread insecticide resistance threatens its effectiveness. VECTRON™ T500, containing broflanilide, represents a novel IRS product with a new mode of action targeting GABA receptors.