The Southern Africa International Centers of Excellence for Malaria Research (ICEMR) has been highly successful, with 19 peer-reviewed publications of primary research findings at the time of this application, co- authorship on seven additional ICEMR-related reviews, and research findings that have been translated into policies. Through integrated studies of malaria epidemiology and vector bionomics in three different transmission settings in Zambia and Zimbabwe, we developed detailed understanding of the drivers of malaria transmission at each site, identified key barriers to control and elimination, and informed policy decisions to improve control strategies. In this renewal application, we will build upon the infrastructure, expertise and relationships developed by the Southern Africa ICEMR over the past six years to further advance malaria control and elimination in a critical geographic expanse, extending from a setting of highly seasonal malaria transmission in eastern Zimbabwe on the border with Mozambique, through the pre-elimination setting in southern Zambia, to the high transmission settings in northern Zambia and southeastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). This region is the focus of intense malaria control and elimination efforts, including those of the President's Malaria Initiative, United States Agency for International Development, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria as well as numerous smaller regional initiatives such as Elimination 8. No other research group in southern Africa has studied the barriers to control and elimination in such depth, duration and across such a range of transmission settings. Continuing and building upon the research activities of the Southern Africa ICEMR will be critical to the success of these investments and the control and elimination of malaria in southern Africa. Our theme is to address critical research questions on barriers to malaria control and elimination in Southern and Central Africa, specifically explanations for continued malaria in high, moderate and low transmission settings despite current public health interventions.

Public Health Relevance

The Southern Africa International Centers of Excellence for Malaria Research (ICEMR) has been highly successful. Through integrated studies of malaria epidemiology and vector bionomics in three different transmission settings in Zambia and Zimbabwe, we developed detailed understanding of the drivers of malaria transmission at each site, identified key barriers to control and elimination, and informed policy decisions to improve control strategies. We will build upon the infrastructure, expertise and relationships developed by the Southern Africa ICEMR over the past six years to further advance malaria control and elimination in a critical geographic expanse extending from Zimbabwe to the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
Type
Research Program--Cooperative Agreements (U19)
Project #
2U19AI089680-08
Application #
9263237
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZAI1)
Program Officer
Rao, Malla R
Project Start
2010-07-01
Project End
2024-03-31
Budget Start
2017-07-01
Budget End
2018-03-31
Support Year
8
Fiscal Year
2017
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
Johns Hopkins University
Department
Microbiology/Immun/Virology
Type
Schools of Public Health
DUNS #
001910777
City
Baltimore
State
MD
Country
United States
Zip Code
21205
Pringle, Julia C; Carpi, Giovanna; Almagro-Garcia, Jacob et al. (2018) RTS,S/AS01 malaria vaccine mismatch observed among Plasmodium falciparum isolates from southern and central Africa and globally. Sci Rep 8:6622
Kanyangarara, Mufaro; Hamapumbu, Harry; Mamini, Edmore et al. (2018) Malaria knowledge and bed net use in three transmission settings in southern Africa. Malar J 17:41
Zawada, Jacek W; Dahan-Moss, Yael L; Muleba, Mbanga et al. (2018) Molecular and physiological analysis of Anopheles funestus swarms in Nchelenge, Zambia. Malar J 17:49
Jones, Christine M; Lee, Yoosook; Kitchen, Andrew et al. (2018) Complete Anopheles funestus mitogenomes reveal an ancient history of mitochondrial lineages and their distribution in southern and central Africa. Sci Rep 8:9054
Searle, Kelly M; Lubinda, Jailos; Hamapumbu, Harry et al. (2017) Characterizing and quantifying human movement patterns using GPS data loggers in an area approaching malaria elimination in rural southern Zambia. R Soc Open Sci 4:170046
Searle, Kelly M; Katowa, Ben; Kobayashi, Tamaki et al. (2017) Distinct parasite populations infect individuals identified through passive and active case detection in a region of declining malaria transmission in southern Zambia. Malar J 16:154
Gibson, Lauren E; Markwalter, Christine F; Kimmel, Danielle W et al. (2017) Plasmodium falciparum HRP2 ELISA for analysis of dried blood spot samples in rural Zambia. Malar J 16:350
Ippolito, Matthew M; Searle, Kelly M; Hamapumbu, Harry et al. (2017) House Structure Is Associated with Plasmodium falciparum Infection in a Low-Transmission Setting in Southern Zambia. Am J Trop Med Hyg 97:1561-1567
Sutcliffe, Catherine G; Searle, Kelly; Matakala, Hellen K et al. (2017) Measles and Rubella Seroprevalence Among HIV-infected and Uninfected Zambian Youth. Pediatr Infect Dis J 36:301-306
Das, Smita; Muleba, Mbanga; Stevenson, Jennifer C et al. (2017) Beyond the entomological inoculation rate: characterizing multiple blood feeding behavior and Plasmodium falciparum multiplicity of infection in Anopheles mosquitoes in northern Zambia. Parasit Vectors 10:45

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