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Review
. 2017 Nov 30;14(11):e1002456.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1002456. eCollection 2017 Nov.

malERA: An updated research agenda for malaria elimination and eradication

Regina N Rabinovich  1   2 , Chris Drakeley  3 , Abdoulaye A Djimde  4 , B Fenton Hall  5 , Simon I Hay  6   7 , Janet Hemingway  8 , David C Kaslow  9 , Abdisalan Noor  10   11 , Fredros Okumu  12   13   14 , Richard Steketee  15 , Marcel Tanner  16   17 , Timothy N C Wells  18 , Maxine A Whittaker  19 , Elizabeth A Winzeler  20 , Dyann F Wirth  2 , Kate Whitfield  1 , Pedro L Alonso  21
Affiliations
Review

malERA: An updated research agenda for malaria elimination and eradication

Regina N Rabinovich et al. PLoS Med. .

Abstract

Achieving a malaria-free world presents exciting scientific challenges as well as overwhelming health, equity, and economic benefits. WHO and countries are setting ambitious goals for reducing the burden and eliminating malaria through the "Global Technical Strategy" and 21 countries are aiming to eliminate malaria by 2020. The commitment to achieve these targets should be celebrated. However, the need for innovation to achieve these goals, sustain elimination, and free the world of malaria is greater than ever. Over 180 experts across multiple disciplines are engaged in the Malaria Eradication Research Agenda (malERA) Refresh process to address problems that need to be solved. The result is a research and development agenda to accelerate malaria elimination and, in the longer term, transform the malaria community's ability to eradicate it globally.

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Conflict of interest statement

AD is a member of MPAC (Malaria Policy Advisory Committee). BFH is a member of the MESA (Malaria Eradication Scientific Alliance) Strategic Advisory Council. SIH is funded by grants from the BMGF (Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation), the Wellcome Trust, and the Fleming Fund. AMN is a member of the WHO malaria Surveillance, Monitoring and Evaluation Technical Experts Group and is co-chair of the Roll Back Malaria Monitoring and Evaluation Reference Group. AMN is also a member of the Editorial Board of PLOS Medicine. FOO is supported by a Wellcome Trust Intermediate Research Fellowship. RS receives funding from the BMGF and is a member of the MESA Strategic Advisory Council. MT declares that he is a member of the MESA Steering Committee, chair of the Scientific Advisory Group (SAG) of WHO/GMP on Malaria Eradication and was a member of MPAC until 2016. TW is a non-executive director of Kymab. EAW is on the Scientific Advisory Board of the Tres Cantos Open Lab Foundation. EAW receives funding from the BMGF, Medicines for Malaria Venture, NIH, and serves on the Scientific Advisory Board of the Tres Cantos Open Lab Foundation. DFW receives funding from the BMGF. PLA is Director of the WHO Global Malaria Programme, a member of the MESA Steering Committee and holds grants from the BMGF. KW is a member of the MESA Secretariat. RR is the Chair of the MESA Steering Committee and is Principal Investigator on the MESA grant from the BMGF. RR is the ExxonMobil Scholar in Residence at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Figures

Fig 1
Fig 1. Map of 21 countries with the potential to eliminate malaria by 2020.
There are 91 countries and territories with ongoing malaria transmission [9]. An analysis by WHO has identified 21 countries with the potential to eliminate by 2020: Algeria, Belize, Bhutan, Botswana, Cabo Verde, China, Comoros, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Iran (Islamic Republic of), Malaysia, Mexico, Nepal, Paraguay, Republic of Korea, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Suriname, Swaziland, and Timor-Leste [10]. Countries and territories that have been certified malaria-free since 2007 are the United Arab Emirates (2007), Morocco (2010), Turkmenistan (2010), Armenia (2011), Maldives (2015), Sri Lanka (2016), and Kyrgyzstan (2016) [9,10]. Argentina and Paraguay have formally requested certification of malaria elimination and are in the process. Note that not all countries that have achieved zero indigenous cases for 3 consecutive years have sought certification from WHO. Map base vector created by Freepik.
Fig 2
Fig 2. Research accelerates progress towards malaria elimination goals.
Research and development responds to the diverse and evolving needs of malaria programmes to underpin elimination and eradication. ‘Scientific underpinning’: research agenda is multidisciplinary and includes all human Plasmodium species. Quality evidence informs policies and decision makers. ‘Accelerated path’: technical and operational innovations accelerate progress towards malaria elimination. ‘Enabling environment’: working partnerships between malaria programmes and research institutions. The malaria community and the research community respond effectively to opportunities afforded by other sectors, e.g., urbanisation, education. The malaria community and the research community respond effectively to threats, e.g., natural disasters, conflict, stimulation of career progression and scientific leadership from malaria endemic countries, and commitment to national malaria elimination goals by Ministries of Health, Finance, Science, Education, and Tourism.
Fig 3
Fig 3. malERA Refresh process.
malERA, Malaria Eradication Research Agenda; MESA, Malaria Eradication Scientific Alliance.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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