Eliminating malaria in South Africa by 2018:
The University of Pretoria Institute for Sustainable Malaria Control believes that by using a transdisciplinary approach and by focusing on all three parts of malaria; vector, parasite and human health; it’s possible to eliminate malaria from South Africa by 2018.
According to the World health Organisation (WHO) 438,000 people in 2015 died from malaria worldwide with 90% of those deaths occurring in Africa. But progress is being made to decrease this statistic. Comparing deaths from malaria in 2015 to 2000, there was a drop of 48% (839,000 deaths in 2000). “There’s been substantial progress towards the World Health Assembly target of reducing the malaria burden by 75% by 2015, but we still have a long way to go,” remarks UP ISMC Director Prof Tiaan de Jager. “Which is why our team have devised a transdisciplinary approach to combat the disease.”
Discover more background behind the significance of the research on the quality of healthcare received in South Africa’s communities, at www.researchmatters.up.ac.za.
Indoor residual spraying (IRS), the spraying of the insecticide DDT within traditional homes has added to the reduction of malaria. But it is known to cause environmental problems and damage human health. “Vhembe in Limpopo is a malaria hotspot and is where we carried out our research,” adds Prof de Jager. “Despite the use of DDT, malaria remains a constant problem in the area due to ineffective control in neighbouring Zimbabwe. So we need to design an innovative solution to reach our goal to stop Malaria in our borders.”
The solution
The UP ISMC team focus on malaria-related research and has created a transdisciplinary approach of which some place emphasis on the communities in Vhembe, Limpopo due to its hotspot status. Some of its researchers work within communities to understand their needs and to pilot new technologies and solutions for the challenge of malaria control in South Africa. Although there’s a broad range of projects at the Institute, three stand out as examples of the transdisciplinary, innovative and inclusive research pioneered by the UP ISMC.
Insecticidal wall linings
The Institute has developed wall linings impregnated with insecticide, and tested them in Vhembe District, Limpopo. And the communities approved of the intervention and based on laboratory tests remain an effective way to control mosquito numbers and limit transmission of malaria after four years. Read more.
Apps for malaria control
Another project is using a smartphone app known as mSpray to track and record the details of the IRS programme in the Vhembe area. “The app will help limit the toxic effects of DDT on human populations and reduce the time and effort spent monitoring IRSprogrammes,” adds Prof de Jager. Malaria Buddy is another app developed at the UP ISMC through collaboration with a commercial partner, which provides malaria risk and symptom information for travellers in malaria regions. Read more.
Understanding the effects of DDT
Another critical project is the research into the effects of DDT and other insecticides on fertility, congenital disabilities and childhood brain development. Researchers studied, amongst other, mothers and their infants to understand how a mother’s exposure to insecticides impacts their child. It is well-known that DDT and similar chemicals can cause health problems, but this research allows a deeper understanding to limit the health impact of IRS. Read more.
Satellite surveillance to control malaria
Malaria-spreading mosquitoes have a particular set of environmental factors that need to be just right for them to thrive. UP ISMC doctoral student Mr Abiodun Morakinyo Adeola, has combined this knowledge with satellite data to predict malaria outbreaks and to identify most at-risk areas and populations. Read more.
Discover the story in full at Research Matters, the University of Pretoria research website: http://www.researchmatters.up.ac.za/researcher-projects/view/48
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