Advances in population-based interventions to control falciparum malaria
Issued Date
2025-12-05
Resource Type
eISSN
18783503
Scopus ID
2-s2.0-105024021974
Pubmed ID
40973129
Journal Title
Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
Volume
119
Issue
12
Start Page
1316
End Page
1323
Rights Holder(s)
SCOPUS
Bibliographic Citation
Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene Vol.119 No.12 (2025) , 1316-1323
Suggested Citation
Glossop S.E., Peto T.J., Adhikari B. Advances in population-based interventions to control falciparum malaria. Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene Vol.119 No.12 (2025) , 1316-1323. 1323. doi:10.1093/trstmh/traf088 Retrieved from: https://repository.li.mahidol.ac.th/handle/123456789/113490
Title
Advances in population-based interventions to control falciparum malaria
Author(s)
Corresponding Author(s)
Other Contributor(s)
Abstract
Malaria is a complex disease and transmission can be prevented in multiple ways. A range of interventions to achieve this became widely available from the year 2000, and cases continually declined, but progress has plateaued since 2015. This review aims to cover the population-level prevention strategies responsible for this and those that could continue this progress, focussing on how they can be successfully integrated. Insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) made the most substantial contribution to reducing malaria mortality, but their distribution, access and use remains suboptimal while development of insecticide resistance requires continuous adaptation. Chemoprevention provides protections to tens of millions of people, primarily children in sub-Saharan Africa, but is also threatened by the emergence and spread of drug resistance. These strategies may have reached a point of saturation for reducing morbidity and mortality, thus calling for innovative developments to build upon more basic approaches such as accurate early diagnosis, appropriate treatment and improved housing. The R21/Matrix-M vaccine is a significant improvement over the RTS,S/AS01 vaccine, with greater efficacy, lower cost and scalable mass production. Field trials of current monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) suggest that next-generation mAbs could be a promising tool for seasonal chemoprophylaxis. Furthermore, gene drives may have the potential to eradicate entire populations of malaria-transmitting mosquitoes. A multifaceted approach combining these new strategies with traditional approaches (ITNs and chemoprevention) offers a framework to reinvigorate progress towards malaria elimination.