Malaria Elimination Science (ELIMINAS)

Malaria is still a major public health problem in the Brazilian Amazon. The decrease in malaria-associated mortality in this region contrasts with the high lethality among imported cases diagnosed late outside this area. Eliminating malaria is a current goal of the main organizations involved with this disease. Based on the appearance and increase of resistance to antimalarial drugs, in specific areas, the elimination of the disease can dispense with the implementation of new strategies and tools, which should focus on blocking the transmission of infected people to the vector mosquito.

ELIMINA will focus on the generation of high quality data through plural collaborative research networks, organized in nine different lines of research (Packages of work), which will work independently, but also occasionally interacting, sharing data, reagents , infrastructure and technical expertise. These nine groups will focus on research ranging from projects in serological markers, pharmacogenetics and drug discovery (which should result in laboratory and field tests to be used in malaria elimination strategies) to social and cost-effectiveness evaluation of measures that can impact the implementation of these strategies in specific regions. Alternatives to Mass Drug Administration (AMD), such as Serological Screening And Treatment (TSET), will be evaluated as a non-inferior alternative to AMD, in clinical trials comparing these two options to eliminate malaria. This test will be coupled with research focused on identifying markers of recent exposure to malaria, which should be the basis for the development of a new product in collaboration with the industry, such as one of our partners in Brazil, Biomanguinhos®. In addition, there will be research focused on identifying new drugs effective in blocking transmission of the parasite to the vector, as well as the search for new drugs with action against the hypnozoite of Plasmodium vivax. Annual periodic scientific meetings will be organized with the purpose of evaluating the accomplishment of goals of the research groups and establishment of new objectives based on the findings. Additional collaborations in key themes related to the elimination of malaria, such as vector control and vaccines, will take place through close debate with other National Institutes of Science and Technology (INCTs) more specialized in these themes, with whom ELIMINA will interact intensely .

In addition to research groups, a very important part of ELIMINA’s mission is to contribute to education, training and local capacity building mainly in the Brazilian Amazon, where the proponent is based full time. International visiting researchers should spend part of their time in this region, supporting different research groups according to their area of expertise, in addition to contributing to postgraduate courses and disciplines, and guiding doctoral and postdoctoral student projects during their stays. visits. With the participation of national and international researchers, malaria elimination courses will also be offered to national and local managers in the Amazon, involved in disease control, focusing on the challenges of making the change from a control program to an elimination program.

In summary, both the research and education/training activities conducted by ELIMINA will significantly contribute to future efforts towards the elimination of malaria in endemic areas in Brazil, in addition to promoting interaction between malaria researchers at national and global levels. . New projects and collaborations, including the development of new tools, are expected over the six-year duration of this proposal’s activities.

This project was submitted to the public notice for the creation of new and renewed INCTs by CNPq and several FAPSs, although this project was not able to capture funding in the call, it received the INCT seal from CNPq that allowed this project to be able to raise other resources for its development , among which the project received around 2 million reais from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, 180 thousand reais from a FIOCRUZ/CNPq Call for the development of part of the objectives “G6PD/CNPq – SAFETY AND EFFECTIVENESS OF DIFFERENTIATED PRIMAQUIN REGIMES IN THE TREATMENT OF VIVAX MALARIA IN GLUCOSE-6-PHOSPHATE-DEHYDROGENASE DEFICIENT PATIENTS”, resources from the Ministry of Health to carry out the “Population-based survey for the estimation of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDd) deficiency in the Brazilian Amazon and cost study -Effectiveness of the rapid test for the detection of G6PDd in patients with malaria”, FAPEAM resources through the Edict Guyamazon for the development of this study “Resistance of Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium falciparum to antimalarials: a multicenter study to support malaria control in the International Amazon” , resources from FAPEAM Universal and Medicines for Malaria Venture with a counterpart from FAPEAM (Universal 2019) for the development of the project “Development of the in vitro liver stage from Brazilian isolates of P. vivax“
There are also other efforts, such as the project funded by FAPEAM (Universal Public Notice): EFFECTS OF FUTURE CLIMATE SCENARIOS ON THE LIFE CYCLE AND INFECTIVENESS OF Anopheles aquasalis (DIPTERA: CULICIDAE) TO Plasmodium vivax.

Project details

Capacity Strengthening
Drug-based Strategies
Financing & Economics
Information Systems
Operational Research
P. vivax
Product Development

Mar 2017

Brazil