Malaria Journal最新文献

{"title":"\"Fighting against malaria is everyone's concern\": a randomized control trial assessing the role of incentives for encouraging local communities to record and upload mosquito sounds using the MozzWear application.","authors":"Winifrida P Mponzi, Rinita Dam, Dickson Msaky, Yohana Mwalugelo, Marianne Sinka, Ivan Kiskin, Eva Herreros-Moya, Stephen Roberts, Kathy Willis, Emmanuel W Kaindoa","doi":"10.1186/s12936-025-05564-7","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12936-025-05564-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Current malaria surveillance methods are considered too expensive to scale-up within limited-resource settings; hence, new technologies and approaches are necessary to maximize the collection of data and ultimately design new malaria control tools. Effective mosquito surveillance can be enhanced through the utilization of digital technologies and the engagement of citizens in real-time data collection. This study used the HumBug acoustic sensor with the MozzWear app to detect and identify host-seeking mosquitoes based on their flight sounds, with citizens receiving airtime incentives for recording and uploading sounds.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A randomized controlled trial was used to assess the role of incentives to encourage the local community to record and upload mosquito sounds using the MozzWear application. Participants were randomized into two groups: (1) a control group, in which no incentive was provided; and (2) an incentive group, in which airtime credit was provided to participants. Both groups were provided with HumBug smartphones running the MozzWear app plus adapted mosquito bed nets ('HumBug Nets') to hold the phones during recording and were asked to record and upload mosquito flight tone data once per week for a period of four months. The intervention group was rewarded with an airtime incentive every week after the data were uploaded. At the end of the study, an experience survey was administered to participants in both groups to assess their experience participating in this study.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The overall results indicate that the control group performed well in terms of the number of nights spent recording and uploading data compared to the incentive group. The level of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation differs between demographic variables. Their feedback suggested that fighting against malaria was more important and was everyone's concern in rural Tanzania. In addition, the participants expressed their interest in being involved in future research related to mosquito surveillance and the fight against malaria.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Citizens can play a valuable role in scientific research; even without giving them incentives, they can still participate in the study. By participating in mosquito surveillance and malaria prevention studies, community members can make significant contributions to addressing mosquito-borne diseases and improving health outcomes.</p>","PeriodicalId":18317,"journal":{"name":"Malaria Journal","volume":"24 1","pages":"295"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12486566/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145199900","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Characterizing the escalation of pyrethroid resistance and its impact on bed nets efficacy alongside molecular basis in Anopheles funestus from Cameroon.","authors":"Hervé Raoul Tazokong, Stevia Ntadoun Tchamga, Magellan Tchouakui, Tatiane Assatse, Steve Valdi Djova, Leon M J Mugenzi, Gadji Mahamat, Onana Boyomo, Charles Sinclair Wondji","doi":"10.1186/s12936-025-05542-z","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12936-025-05542-z","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Malaria prevention still relies greatly on vector control interventions. However, increasing levels of resistance to pyrethroids across Africa have significantly reduced the efficacy of pyrethroid-based interventions leading to an increase of malaria burden. Consequently, it is imperative to characterize the extent and molecular basis of this resistance.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This study was conducted from 2020 to 2021 in a South-North transect across Cameroon. WHO tube assay was used to assess the susceptibility profile of Anopheles funestus to the four main classes of insecticides. The efficacy of bed nets was evaluated using cone assay. Known genetic resistance markers and gene expression were determined using PCR and quantitative PCR techniques, respectively. Taqman assay and nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) were used to determine Plasmodium sporozoite infection.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>High pyrethroid resistance intensity was noticed in all sites with mortalities ranging from 80-93.9%, 84.9-96.7% and 82% for permethrin, deltamethrin and alphacypermethrin at 10 × concentration respectively. This high level of resistance led to dramatic inefficacy of pyrethroid-only nets with 0-17% mortality recorded 24-h post exposure while PBO-based nets displayed optimal efficacy. Sporozoite infection rates ranged from 0-16.5% across the study sites. However, there was no clear relationship between the infection rate and the intensity of pyrethroid resistance. The L119F-GSTe2 allele was higher in the South (56-68%) compared to the North (20-37%) meanwhile the P450-linked 4.3 kb structural variant was fixed contrasting with the absence of the CYP6P9a/b-R, 6.5 kb insertion and N485I-Ace1 alleles. Furthermore, the L119F-GSTe2 allele confers significant ability to mosquito to survive permethrin. In addition, the CYP325A, CYP6P5, CYP6P9a/b, and the Carb2514 were the most overexpressed genes in pyrethroid resistant mosquitoes. However, no further association was noticed between these alleles/genes and increasing doses of pyrethroids.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>This study confirms the escalation of pyrethroid resistance across Cameroon and the inefficacy of pyrethroid-only nets and highlights genes potentially implicated in the aggravation of insecticide resistance with implications on vector control strategies.</p>","PeriodicalId":18317,"journal":{"name":"Malaria Journal","volume":"24 1","pages":"308"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12487447/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145199896","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Introducing researchers involved in vector control to modelling for operational decision-making in Benin: report of the workshop, January 17-18, 2024.","authors":"Alphonse Keller Konkon, David Mahouton Zoungbédji, Geoffroy Yahoue, Arthur Sovi, Albert Sourou Salako, Isidore Hoyochi, Merveille Koissi Savi, Jonas Doumate, Filémon Tonkponnon, Razacki Ossè, Rock Aikpon, Casimir Kpanou, Come Koukpo, Arsène Fasinou, Juvénal Ahouandjinou, Linda Towakinou, Steve Zinsou Hougbe, Gérard Totongnon, Boulais Yovogan, Constantin Adoha, Hermann Sagbohan, Esdras Odjo, Olivier Oussou, Roseric Azondekon, Martin Codjo Akogbéto, Germain Gil Padonou","doi":"10.1186/s12936-025-05561-w","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12936-025-05561-w","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Malaria continues to pose a major threat despite numerous efforts aimed at reducing its incidence and ultimately eliminating the disease. The majority of malaria cases occur in Africa. According to the World Health Organization, one of the key reasons for the continued presence of malaria is financial constraints. It is, therefore, crucial to make the most efficient use of the limited resources available. Data generated from control efforts must be thoroughly analysed to inform effective decision-making. In this context, predictive approaches can play a vital role. Predictive modelling, in particular, has proven to be a powerful and cost-effective tool for guiding policymakers and improving the impact of interventions. It was within this framework that the workshop was held with the aim of strengthening the capacity building of stakeholders involved in malaria control in Benin in data analysis and the application of modelling to support operational decision-making. This report presents a summary of the key presentations, trainings, and activities conducted during the workshop, which took place on January 17-18, 2024, at Hôtel du Lac in Cotonou, Benin.</p>","PeriodicalId":18317,"journal":{"name":"Malaria Journal","volume":"24 1","pages":"294"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12487126/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145199367","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Malaria prevalence and its determinants across 19 sub-Saharan African countries: a spatial and geographically weighted regression analysis.","authors":"Gelila Yitageasu, Eshetu Abera Worede, Eyob Akalewold Alemu, Mitkie Tigabie, Abebe Birhanu, Abiy Ayele Angelo, Mekuriaw Nibret Aweke, Lidetu Demoze","doi":"10.1186/s12936-025-05573-6","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12936-025-05573-6","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Background: &lt;/strong&gt;Malaria remains a significant public health challenge, particularly in underdeveloped regions like sub-Saharan Africa, where environmental, housing, and socioeconomic factors drive its spread. This study aims to identify spatial patterns and key determinants of malaria infection among households across 19 sub-Saharan African countries to inform targeted interventions and policy strategies.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Methods: &lt;/strong&gt;A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted using recent Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) data from 19 sub-Saharan African countries, encompassing 126,424 households and 11,594 clusters. Data processing including weighting, cleaning, and analysis was carried out using Microsoft Excel and Stata version 17. Prevalence estimates and 95% confidence intervals were generated in Stata, accounting for the DHS's complex sampling design through the application of weights, clustering, and stratification. Spatial analyses, including cluster detection and Geographically Weighted Regression (GWR), Were conducted using ArcGIS version 10.7 and SaTScan&lt;sup&gt;™&lt;/sup&gt; version 10.2.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Results: &lt;/strong&gt;Malaria prevalence among households in 19 sub-Saharan African countries was 22.47% (95% CI 22.24%, 22.70%), based on weighted estimates that account for the DHS sampling design. This indicates that approximately one in five households is affected by malaria. Spatial autocorrelation was significant (Global Moran's I = 0.159; Z = 239.1; p &lt; 0.001), confirming geographic clustering. Hot-spot analysis (Getis-Ord Gi*) highlighted hotspot zones in Benin, Burkina Faso, Togo, Uganda, Rwanda, parts of the Republic of the Congo, and Mozambique. SaTScan™ identified 34 statistically significant spatial clusters, with the most prominent situated in Ghana, Burkina Faso, Togo, and Benin; Anselin Local Moran's I further revealed intermingled high and low-risk areas. Geographically Weighted Regression showed higher malaria prevalence in rural residents; households with rudimentary or natural roofs; younger heads of household; the poorest wealth quintile; no bed-net ownership, homes using treated bed nets, and large household size (6-12 members). Conversely, risk was lower in the richest households, those headed by women, and dwellings with natural or rustic walls.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Conclusion: &lt;/strong&gt;Malaria remains highly prevalent (22.47%) in sub-Saharan Africa, with significant spatial clustering in countries like Benin, Burkina Faso, Togo, and Uganda. Key risk factors identified include rural residence, poor housing conditions, lack of bed nets, homes using treated bed nets, and lower socioeconomic status. To reduce the burden, targeted interventions such as the distribution of insecticide-treated bed nets, indoor residual spraying, health education and improved housing should focus on identified hotspot areas. Collaboration among governments, NGOs, and local communities is essential to implement these strategie","PeriodicalId":18317,"journal":{"name":"Malaria Journal","volume":"24 1","pages":"305"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12487587/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145199838","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Making the most of existing antimalarial medicines: a single dose cure with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine plus artesunate-pyronaridine.","authors":"Ghyslain Mombo-Ngoma, Michael Ramharter, Rella Zoleko Manego, Bertrand Lell, Quique Bassat, Pedro Aide, Oumou Maiga Ascofare, Timothy N C Wells, Abdoulaye Djimde, Francine Ntoumi, Peter G Kremsner","doi":"10.1186/s12936-025-05559-4","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12936-025-05559-4","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Malaria remains a preventable and treatable disease; however, recent efforts to reduce mortality have plateaued. Although artemisinin-based combination therapy demonstrates high efficacy in controlled clinical settings, its real-world effectiveness is often compromised by suboptimal patient adherence. Specifically, the artemether-lumefantrine regimen, administered twice daily over 3 days, has been associated with reduced compliance due to its complexity. Simplified therapeutic regimens that enhance adherence could, therefore, play a critical role in reinvigorating progress toward malaria elimination. Over the past decade, substantial progress has been made in the discovery and development of new chemical entities for malaria treatment, although the most advanced candidate still requires a 3-day dosing regimen. Treatment shortening most likely requires multiple drug combinations. Multi-drug regimens, such as artemether-lumefantrine-amodiaquine appear to be well tolerated, but these are under development to address emerging resistance to lumefantrine and will be unlikely to improve compliance. Sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine was originally developed as a single-dose curative treatment for malaria, and although use was curtailed early due to rapid selection for resistance, it continues to be deployed as a single therapy or in combination with other medicines, in treatment and in prevention. Combining with artemisinin-based combinations would be an option for potential treatment shortening. Of the registered antimalarial treatments, only a few of the artemisinin-based combinations are suitable. Mefloquine is excluded for tolerability concerns, amodiaquine because of its use in seasonal malaria chemoprevention, and lumefantrine and piperaquine due to concerns of emerging resistance. Pyronaridine-artesunate emerges as a promising candidate for association with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine. A four-drug, single-dose antimalarial regimen would transform compliance, and play a major role in disease elimination. However, to ensure its success it will be important to assess the safety and tolerability of the novel association and understand its efficacy in regions with evolving resistance to sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine. Clinical studies need to assess the risk for selection of strains with novel resistance mechanisms against artesunate or pyronaridine. Importantly, a comprehensive clinical evaluation will generate valuable real-world insights into community acceptance and operational feasibility. This information will be an important foundation for future design of single dose malaria therapies involving new chemical entities.</p>","PeriodicalId":18317,"journal":{"name":"Malaria Journal","volume":"24 1","pages":"300"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12487147/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145199791","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Evaluating the performance of an artificial intelligence-based electronic reader for malaria rapid diagnostic tests across Benin, Côte d'Ivoire, Nigeria and Uganda.","authors":"Kim A Lindblade, Corine Ngufor, William Yavo, Sunday Atobatele, Arthur Mpimbaza, Nelson Ssewante, Ese Akpiroroh, Abibatou Konaté-Toure, Idelphonse Ahogni, Augustin Kpemasse, Antoine Mea Tanoh, Godwin Ntadom, Jimmy Opigo, Stephanie Zobrist, Kevin Griffith, Michael Humes","doi":"10.1186/s12936-025-05522-3","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12936-025-05522-3","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Background: &lt;/strong&gt;The introduction of malaria rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) has expanded the parasitological confirmation of malaria at all levels of health systems in sub-Saharan Africa, improving case management and surveillance. However, concerns persist regarding healthcare worker adherence to RDT outcomes and the accuracy of RDT results recorded in health facility registers. Electronic RDT readers have been proposed to improve the consistency of interpretation and reporting. The HealthPulse smartphone application (Audere, Seattle, WA, USA), an RDT reader using an artificial intelligence (AI) computer vision algorithm, was assessed against a trained human panel interpreting RDT results from photographs to determine the application's performance characteristics.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Methods: &lt;/strong&gt;In 2023, the Malaria Rapid Diagnostic Test Capture and Reporting Assessment (MaCRA) was implemented in health facilities in Benin, Côte d'Ivoire, Nigeria, and Uganda. Study staff photographed malaria RDTs using the HealthPulse application after healthcare workers performed and interpreted the tests. A trained panel of external reviewers interpreted the RDT images and served as the reference standard. RDTs in the images were classified according to the manufacturer's instructions as positive, negative or invalid (i.e., no visible control line) or labelled as uninterpretable (i.e., visibility was impeded). The performance of the HealthPulse AI algorithm was evaluated using percent accuracy, recall (i.e., sensitivity and specificity), precision (i.e., positive and negative predictive values), and F1 scores (harmonic mean of recall and precision) weighted by the number of each outcome. Logistic regression was applied to assess factors influencing recall across countries, RDT products, presence of faint lines, and anomalies.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Results: &lt;/strong&gt;Of the 110,843 RDT images collected, 106,877 (96.4%) were included in the analysis. The AI algorithm demonstrated high accuracy (96.8%; 95% confidence interval (CI) 96.7%, 96.9%) compared with the panel interpretation and an overall F1 score of 96.6. Recall and precision were &gt; 97% for positive and negative outcomes but much lower for invalid (recall: 84.8%; precision: 42.8%) and uninterpretable (recall: 0.8%; precision: 2.3%) classifications. AI performance varied by country, RDT product, the presence of faint lines and the quality of the image. When test lines were faint, the AI algorithm was significantly less likely to recall both positive results (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 0.02; 95% CI 0.02, 0.02) and negative results (aOR 0.10; 95% CI 0.07, 0.16).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Conclusions: &lt;/strong&gt;The HealthPulse AI algorithm demonstrated strong agreement with a trained panel in interpreting malaria RDT images across diverse settings. However, the reduced performance for invalid outcomes and varying performance by country, RDT product and faint lines highlight the need for further research and refineme","PeriodicalId":18317,"journal":{"name":"Malaria Journal","volume":"24 1","pages":"302"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12486784/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145199938","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Analysis of pfhrp2 and pfhrp3 gene deletions, and the structure and variability of PfHRP2 and PfHRP3 proteins: implications for the performance of malaria rapid diagnostic tests in Cubal, Angola.","authors":"Alejandro Mediavilla, Irene Molina-de la Fuente, Patricia Martínez-Vallejo, Kheta Francisco, José F Martins, Begoña Febrer-Sendra, Carles Rubio Maturana, Aroa Silgado, Arlette Nindia, Lidia Goterris, Joan Martínez-Campreciós, Inés Oliveira-Souto, Israel Molina, Pedro Berzosa, Elena Sulleiro","doi":"10.1186/s12936-025-05523-2","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12936-025-05523-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) based on Plasmodium falciparum histidine-rich protein 2 (PfHRP2-RDTs) are widely used for malaria diagnosis. However, the efficacy of PfHRP2-RDTs is compromised by deletions and genetic variations in the pfhrp2 and pfhrp3 genes. In addition, antigen variability, including diverse protein variants and epitope profiles, can affect the sensitivity of RDTs. This study aimed to report the frequency and genetic variability of pfhrp2 and pfhrp3 deletions and to assess PfHRP2 and PfHRP3 protein variability by analysing their impact on RDT performance in Cubal, a rural area in western Angola.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Samples were collected at the Hospital Nossa Senhora da Paz in Cubal from May to July 2022. A total of 100 dried blood samples from febrile patients were confirmed positive for Plasmodium spp. by real-time PCR. The diagnosis of malaria was validated by thick blood smear microscopy and RDT targeting PfHRP2 and pan-malarial lactate dehydrogenase. Deletions in pfhrp2 and pfhrp3 were assessed by PCR amplification of exons 1-2 and 2. Exon 2 sequences were analysed for amino acid repeats and candidate epitopes, and samples were sorted according to predicted RDT sensitivity.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Species identification revealed that 96% were infected with P. falciparum and were included in the analyses; deletions in exon 1-2 were found in 7.29% (pfhrp2) and 11.46% (pfhrp3). No deletions were observed in exon 2 of pfhrp2 or pfhrp3. Protein analysis revealed significant variability in histidine repeats between RDT sensitivity groups. In PfHRP2, epitopes 3A4 and C1-13 were present in 100% of the samples, with the highest frequencies per isolate being observed (15 and 18 times per isolate, respectively).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The low prevalence of deletions in pfhrp2 and the absence of double deletions in pfhrp2/3, together with the good performance of PfHRP2-RDT suggest that these tests are a suitable diagnostic tool in Cubal. However, continued monitoring of pfhrp2 and pfhrp3 deletions is essential to ensure long-term efficacy. PfHRP2 variability may influence RDT performance; however, further research is needed to clarify its precise impact. These findings enhance the understanding of the genetic variability and structure of PfHRP2 and PfHRP3, highlighting the potential of PfHRP2-RDTs targeting the 3A4 and C1-13 epitopes for improved malaria diagnosis.</p>","PeriodicalId":18317,"journal":{"name":"Malaria Journal","volume":"24 1","pages":"296"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12487354/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145199950","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Housing and household characteristics associated with malaria vectors abundance and clinical malaria incidence in a semi-urban and a rural area of Burkina Faso.","authors":"Moustapha Nikiema, Peter Dambach, Justine Kabore, Sylvain Y M Some, Aristide Ouedraogo, Yllassa Barry, Valentin Boudo, Bertrand Adéchègoun Mèschac Chabi, Ali Sie, Athanase Badolo, Awa Gneme","doi":"10.1186/s12936-025-05520-5","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12936-025-05520-5","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The risk of malaria transmission varies between rural and urban areas. Environmental characteristics and habitat structure can explain this variation. Understanding these factors is crucial for the informed selection of existing and new vector control tools. This study investigated how housing and household characteristics affect vector abundance and malaria incidence in a semi-urban and rural setting of Burkina Faso.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>CDC light traps were used to sample indoor mosquitoes from July to October 2021 in 355 randomly selected houses in semi-urban and rural areas of the Nouna health district. A digital data collection application was used to record information on occupants, housing structure, and household characteristics. Indoor temperature was monitored with a wall thermometer during the night of mosquito collection. Mosquitoes were morphologically sorted and identified by Polymerase Chain Reaction. Poisson and logistic linear models were used to assess the effects of house structure and household characteristics on indoor mosquito abundance, mosquito infection, and human malaria cases.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 22,863 mosquitoes were collected, the most abundant of which were Anopheles including Anopheles coluzzii, Anopheles gambiae sensu stricto, Anopheles arabiensis. In the rural site, minor vectors such as Anopheles nili, Anopheles funestus, and Anopheles pharoensis were found. Mosquito abundance, the number of infected mosquitoes, and the presence of human malaria cases didn't vary significantly according to wall type, roof type, the presence of breeding sites, and the use of LLINs. However, the vegetation around the houses was positively associated with mosquito abundance [RR: 2.5; CI (1.43-4.15); p < 0.001], vector infection [RR = 2.5; CI (1.74-3.33); p < 0.001], and the presence of malaria cases [RR: 1.4; CI (1.03-2.0); p = 0.048]. The presence of children under five years of age [RR: 1.52; CI (1.25-1.84); p < 0.001], female householder [RR: 1.23; CI (1.02-2.78); p < 0.001] were also significantly associated with the human malaria cases.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The household environment, such as vegetation around houses, appears to increase the risk of malaria transmission, while building materials have a smaller effect, in semi urban and rural areas of Burkina Faso. In addition to prophylaxis and medication, malaria control strategies must strengthen environmental management to keep vector populations away from human dwellings.</p>","PeriodicalId":18317,"journal":{"name":"Malaria Journal","volume":"24 1","pages":"292"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12465915/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145149764","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Ideational factors associated with appropriate care-seeking for fever among caregivers of children under five years of age: a multi-country analysis in sub-Saharan Africa.","authors":"Albert Casella, Michael Bride, Gabrielle C Hunter, Michael Toso, Grace N Awantang, Alain K Koffi, Jayme Hughes, Thérèse Bleu, Bolanle Olapeju, Abdul Dosso, Florence Mpata, Eric Sompwe Mukomena, Stella Babalola","doi":"10.1186/s12936-025-05534-z","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12936-025-05534-z","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Background: &lt;/strong&gt;With an estimated 247 million cases and 619,000 deaths reported worldwide in 2021, malaria remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality. The World Health Organization (WHO) Africa region accounts for most cases and deaths. As children under the age of five are especially vulnerable to malaria, seeking care for a febrile child within 24 hours of the start of a fever at a facility or community health worker (i.e., appropriate care-seeking) is a foundational behaviour for reducing risk of malaria mortality. However, faced with a wide range of possible approaches and content that can be employed by social and behaviour change (SBC) programmes to improve care-seeking for fever, it can be challenging for decision-makers to focus efforts and resources on the most promising strategies. This study examines factors influencing appropriate care-seeking for fever among caregivers of children under five years of age in Côte d'Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Benin with the aim of informing SBC programmes on ways to focus efforts and resources.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Methods: &lt;/strong&gt;Data for this analysis was collected via Malaria Behaviour Surveys (MBS) conducted in Côte d'Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Benin. Participants in each country were selected using a multi-stage cluster random sampling approach to capture representative data at the sub-national level. Behavioural, demographic, and ideational data pertaining to malaria were collected using similar data collection tools in each country. Analyses were limited to female caregivers of children under five with fever in the past 14 days (723 in Côte d'Ivoire, 974 in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and 460 in Benin). Multivariate logistic regression models assessed the association between appropriate care-seeking for febrile children under five and ideational and sociodemographic independent variables.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Results: &lt;/strong&gt;Varying sociodemographic and ideational factors were significant in each country. The percentage of caregivers reporting appropriate care-seeking for children was 62% in Côte d'Ivoire, 41% in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and 53% in Benin. Child age, household poverty, geographic zone of residence, and exposure to malaria messages were significantly associated with appropriate care-seeking in one or two of the countries. Correct knowledge about optimal timing to seek care for a febrile child was positively associated with the behaviour in all three countries, as was interpersonal discussion about malaria. Other variables, including attitudes, perceived self-efficacy, the perception that the behaviour is normative among parents in the community, and the perception that health workers charge parents for malaria services, yielded a significant association in at least one country.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Conclusions: &lt;/strong&gt;Several variables were associated with appropriate care-seeking in the three countries, suggesting that s","PeriodicalId":18317,"journal":{"name":"Malaria Journal","volume":"24 1","pages":"291"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12466054/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145149780","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Comparison of ARIMA and FB-Prophet time series models for the prediction of national and regional malaria incidence in Uganda.","authors":"Benjamin Fuller, Richard Ssekitoleko, Caroline Kyozira, Josh M Colston, Issa Makumbi, Andrew Bakainaga, Christopher C Moore, Herbert Isabirye Kiirya","doi":"10.1186/s12936-025-05547-8","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12936-025-05547-8","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Within sub-Saharan Africa, Uganda carries the third largest burden of malaria with 5% of global cases. Due to the stochastic nature of malaria incidence, resource allocation of preventive measures, rapid diagnostic tests, and chemotherapeutics is a significant challenge. To better identify areas at risk and address the challenge of resource allocation, this study aimed to: (1) characterize national and regional malaria incidence in Uganda, and (2) compare the performance of time series models in predicting malaria incidence at national and regional levels.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Aggregated data from District Health Information Software 2 (DHIS2), was used to assess national and regional malaria incidence in Uganda from 2020 through 2023. Auto-regressive moving average (ARIMA) models of national and regional malaria incidence were then created. The same data was applied to FB-Prophet, an open source generalized additive time series model. Training and validation datasets were created for each model, which ran for 41 and 6 months, respectively. Model performance was then evaluated via key performance indicators including mean average error (MAE), root mean square error (RMSE), and mean average percentage error (MAPE).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The incidence of malaria within Uganda increased from 200.5 cases per 1000 persons annually in 2021 to 265.4 cases per 1000 persons annually in 2022. The northern regions of West Nile and Acholi, along with Busoga region in the east, experienced the highest burden and incidence of malaria. The mean regional MAE, MAPE, and RMSE was 0.007, 31.2, and 0.01, respectively for ARIMA, and 0.01, 47.8, and 0.01, respectively for FB-Prophet. The ARIMA model outperformed the FB-Prophet model at the national level and in 14 of 15 regions.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Time series models accurately predicted malaria incidence on a national and regional scale in Uganda. Both the ARIMA and FB-Prophet models have the potential to guide malaria resource allocation and response efforts among other malaria control interventions deployed in Uganda and possibly in other malaria endemic settings.</p>","PeriodicalId":18317,"journal":{"name":"Malaria Journal","volume":"24 1","pages":"289"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12462331/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145138006","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}