Emory University has been awarded $2.8 million from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to develop and test an innovative, low-cost solution for controlling Anopheles stephensi, an invasive mosquito species driving a growing urban malaria threat in Ethiopia.
Ethiopia records an estimated 5 million malaria cases annually, with urban areas facing heightened risk due to this adaptable mosquito.
The three-year project will focus on three Ethiopian towns: Jigjiga, Semera, and Logiya. In these eastern Ethiopian towns the Anopheles stephensi mosquito has been spreading rapidly. Unlike traditional malaria vectors that primarily breed in rural settings, this invasive species thrives in urban water storage containers, putting an additional 10 million city-dwelling Ethiopians at risk, according to the World Health Organization.
Emory’s research team will deploy high-tech, low-cost interventions to disrupt mosquito breeding and disease transmission. Malaria already accounts for 20% of Ethiopia’s health facility visits, according to the research team.
If successful, the methods could be scaled across Ethiopia, where 68% of the population lives in malaria-prone regions.
Best Strategies for Malaria Prevention
Malaria remains a significant global health challenge, particularly affecting developing countries. However, substantial progress has been made due to effective prevention strategies and successful interventions in various regions.
The best strategies for malaria prevention include:
- Insecticide-Treated Bed Nets (ITNs): Widely distributed ITNs significantly reduce malaria transmission by creating a barrier against mosquitoes, particularly at night when they’re most active.
- Indoor Residual Spraying (IRS): Regular spraying of insecticides on indoor walls effectively kills mosquitoes and interrupts malaria transmission.
- Antimalarial Medications: Chemoprophylaxis, or preventive medications, are highly effective for travelers and populations at high risk, especially pregnant women and children.
- Vector Control Measures: Efforts to control mosquito populations through environmental management, larvicides, and community sanitation practices help reduce breeding grounds.
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Larval Source Management (LSM): Targeting mosquito breeding sites through habitat modification, use of larvicides, and biological controls to reduce mosquito populations before they mature into adults.Public Education Campaigns: Educating communities about malaria transmission and preventive behaviors enhances adherence to prevention strategies.
Global success stories provide encouraging evidence:
- Sri Lanka: Successfully eliminated malaria by 2016 through robust surveillance systems, early detection, prompt treatment, and extensive vector control.
- Algeria and Argentina: Certified malaria-free in 2019 due to comprehensive prevention strategies and effective public health infrastructure.
- China: Achieved malaria-free certification from the World Health Organization in 2021 after a 70-year effort that reduced annual cases from 30 million in the 1940s to zero. Key to this success was the implementation of the “1-3-7” strategy, which mandates case reporting within 1 day, investigation within 3 days, and targeted response within 7 days. Additionally, China’s discovery of artemisinin, a potent antimalarial drug derived from traditional Chinese medicine, has saved millions of lives worldwide.
