APMEN representative attends annual RBM VCWG meeting

Earlier this month, Dr Chang Moh Seng, from the Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, attended the 11^th Annual RBM Vector Control Working Group (VCWG) meeting as an APMEN representative. The meeting covered current policy and implementation strategies, challenges in vector control, and new innovations and tools in controlling vecotrs. Dr Chang was invited to give a presentation about the activities of the APMEN Vector Control Working Group (VcWG) and lead a discussion about future objectives of the group. The presentation received positive feedback, and it was proposed that the RBM VCWG and APMEN VcWG work more collaboratively in the future. (Photo: Sara Canavati)

India releases new plan for malaria elimination

India released its new National Framework for Malaria Elimination in India 2016-2030 last week and announced its new goals to eliminate indigenous cases of malaria in the country by 2030. These plans have been made in line with the goals set out in the WHO Global Technical Strategy (GTS) for Malaria 2016-2030 and the APLMA Malaria Elimination Roadmap, which aims to eliminate malaria in the Asia Pacific region by 2030.  In a press release from the WHO, Mr J. P. Nadda, Union Minister of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India said, "India stands committed to eliminating Malaria and is committed to allocating infrastructure and financial resources to this task."

New framework for Cambodia to eliminate P. falciparum by 2020

On January 27, the Cambodian Government released the 'Cambodia Malaria Elimination Action Framework 2016-2020', which aims to eliminate Plasmodium falciparum by 2020. The Framework is part of a larger goal to eliminate all malaria cases by 2025, in line with the regional goal to achieve a malaria-free Asia Pacific by 2030.

Congratulations to Prof Maxine Whittaker

This month we would like to congratulate Prof Whittaker o­n her new position at James Cook University (JCU) in Townsville, Australia, as Dean of the College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences. JCU has been an APMEN Partner Institution since 2013.  We would like to wish her all the best, and look forward to her continuing support to the Network from her new base at JCU.

APMEN welcomes GHG as Partner Institution

This month we would like to welcome the Global Health Group (GHG) as a Partner Institution of APMEN.  From the Network's inception until early 2016, the Global Health Group, led by Director Sir Richard Feachem, formed o­ne half of APMEN's Joint-Secretariat, where they provided valued support to Network meetings, Working Groups, the development of key documents and case studies and other activities. As a Partner Institution, GHG will continue to support APMEN initiatives; in particular, coordinating the Surveillance and Response Working Group, and contributing to new strategies and tools for sustaining malaria elimination.

Recent publications:

Association between Landscape Factors and Spatial Patterns of Plasmodium knowlesi Infections in Sabah, Malaysia

Kimberly M. Fornace, Tommy Rowel Abidin, Neal Alexander, Paddy Brock, Matthew J. Grigg, Amanda Murphy, Timothy William, Jayaram Menon, Chris J. Drakeley & Jonathon Cox

This study investigated the associations between the incidence of Plasmodium knowlesi, the malaria species that is the main cause of malaria in Malaysian Borneo, and environmental factors such as deforestation. Through investigating village-level data for incidence of P. knowlesi and satellite-based data to evaluate the presence of environmental factors, it was found that P. knowlesi was positively associated with forest cover and historical forest loss, suggesting that deforestation could be a key driver in P. knowlesi. Read the full article here.

Performance and user acceptance of the Bhutan febrile and malaria information system: report from a pilot study

Tashi Tobgay, Pema Samdrup, Thinley Jamtsho, Kylie Mannion, Leonard Ortega, Amnat Khamsiriwatchara, Ric N. Price, Kamala Thriemer & Jaranit Kaewkungwal

Malaria surveillance is an important activity to prevent reemergence of the disease, especially in areas that are close to elimination, such as Bhutan. Bhutan has implemented a pilot-scale trial of a web and mobile-based surveillance system called the Bhutan Febrile and Malaria Information System (BFIRMS), which takes inputs from users and can generate real-time reports. When compared to the traditional surveillance systems used in Bhutan, the BFMIS system was shown to be superior in terms of data completeness, data turnaround time and user satisfaction. Read the full article here.

Artesunate-mefloquine versus chloroquine for treatment of uncomplicated Plasmodium knowlesi malaria in Malaysia (ACT KNOW): an open-label, randomised control trial

Matthew J. Grigg, Timothy William, Jayaram Menon, Prabakaran Dhanaraj, Bridget E. Barber, Christopher S. Wilkes, Lorenz von Seidlein, Giri S. Rajahram, Cielo Pasay, James S. McCarthy, Ric N. Price, Nicholas M. Anstey & Tsin W. Yeo

Although Plasmodium knowlesi is a growing problem in Malaysia, until now there has been no clinical trials testing the efficacy of different malaria treatments against this particular strain. APMEN funding supported researchers in Sabah, Malaysia, to conduct a clinical trial comparing the effects of two malaria treatments, artesunate-mefloquin and chloroquin, o­n uncomplicated malaria cases. The results of this study indicate that artesunate-mefloquine is a better choice for treating P. knowlesi infections in terms of parasite clearance, likelihood of anaemia, fever clearance and bed occupancy time. Read the full article here

Spotlight o­n APMEN Fellows

As a part of it's capacity building and knowledge exchange goals, APMEN runs a Fellowship Program that enables researchers from APMEN countries to work with other experts from around the world. In 2015, APMEN supported seven Fellowships in the region, and we now want to shine a light o­n their work and how they are going to implement their new skills in their home countries. This month we are celebrating the work of Dr Patchara Sriwichai from Thailand, who travelled to the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, Australia, to develop statistical models which will help inform malaria response in the Thai-Cambodia border region. Read more here.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Other news »

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• The collaborative mission of IMPE-QN, WHO, and RAI investigates malaria situation in Khanh Hoa province (11/28/2023)
• IMPE-QN cooperated with Korea's leading universities in Bio-health research and training (11/20/2023)
• IMPE-QN welcomes international units to visit and exchange research cooperation (06/05/2023)
• MOU Signing Ceremony and Joint Scientific Seminar between the Institute of Malariology, Parasitology and Entomology and Gyeongsang National University (Republic of Korea) (12/09/2022)
• US Naval Medical Research Unit (NAMRU-2) visits to and exchanges research cooperation with IMPE-QN (08/16/2022)