By Dr. Derick Pasternak, Ambassador, Malaria Science & Research Coordinator, MPI
News
WHO published four new pamphlets pertaining to malaria in June and July:
- Malaria case management Plasmodium vivax malaria on 2 June (https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240120808)
- Operational manual on larval source management: control of Anopheles and Aedes mosquito vectors on 21 June (https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240123212),
- Mekong Malaria Elimination Programme epidemiology summary, volume 31, July-September 2025 on 28 July (https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/WPR-2026-DPC-001-Mekong_Elimination_Programme_vol31), and
- Guiding principles for prioritizing malaria interventions in resource-constrained country contexts to achieve maximum impact, 2nd ed. on 30 July (https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/B09790)
On 20 July, Ugwu OP & al. published an opinion piece, Prioritizing Urban Water-Storage Containers for Molecular Surveillance of Invasive Anopheles stephensi in Isiolo, Kenya: An Evidence-Informed Opinion, in Curr Res Parasitol Vector Borne Dis.10:100415, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crpvbd.2026.100415, arguing that “urban water-storage containers should be prioritized as initial surveillance targets for molecular surveillance of An. stephensi in Isiolo. Operational targets should include jerrycans, barrels or drums, cut or discarded tanks, rooftop and ground-level tanks, concrete cisterns, overflow points near communal water systems, and drawing on Ethiopian comparative evidence, construction-associated water reservoirs.”
Musa SS & al. published a Commentary, Who Will Pay for the Malaria Vaccines in Africa? in Archives of Public Health on 21 Jul, https://doi.org/10.1186/s13690-026-02020-z. In it, they state that the “central question confronting African policymakers, donors, and governments is no longer scientific but financial.” They cite the recent curtailing of many donor nations’ contributions versus the need for “sustained investment in cold-chain systems, the health workforce, and immunisation platforms reaching conflict-affected areas, the costs of which are frequently excluded from procurement estimates.” The commentary advocates prevention of “distribution by purchasing power rather than by epidemiological need.”
On 20 August, World Mosquito Day, You Tube produced a seminar titled “What Is the Future of Mosquito Control,” with six internationally prominent speakers. It can be accessed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LICHbVTIhcA.
PEER REVIEWED ARTICLES
Prevention
Vaccines
The WHO approved “malaria vaccines RTS,S/AS01 and R21/Matrix M … present a portion of the Plasmodium falciparum circumsporozoite protein (PfCSP) containing an immunodominant major repeat region.” Based on experimental work with mice, Koo JH & al. suggest that combining the R21 vaccine with other portions of PfCSP will enhance the efficacy of the vaccine. The paper is Overcoming Immunogenic Gaps in Malaria Subunit Vaccines by Broadening CSP Regions Targeted, J Exp Med. 2026 Sep 7; 223(9):e20260846, https://doi.org/10.1084/jem.20260846.
“Plasmodium falciparum sporozoite vaccines, in which parasites are attenuated at the liver stage, provide high efficacy but require complex manufacture and intravenous administration of high sporozoite doses.” Steel RWJ & al. report in Chemovaccination with a Late-Liver-Stage Antimalarial Induces Durable Immunity Against Malaria, Science, 2026 Aug 13; 393(6812):eaea7605, https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aea7605 “that a single low-dose P. berghei sporozoite exposure (intravenous or mosquito bite) and treatment with a plasmepsin IX and X (PMIX/X) inhibitor, … that produced "chemo-attenuated liver merozoites" (CALM) induced sterile immunity in mice for up to 21 months. … CALM vaccination merits clinical evaluation, including by natural mosquito exposure if long-acting injectable PMIX/X inhibitor formulations prove feasible.”
Please see Haine V & al., Enhancing Disease Surveillance and Pharmacovigilance Practices for RTS,S/AS01(E) Malaria Vaccine Rollout in Ghana, Kenya, and Malawi: Strategies, Impact, Challenges, and Lessons Learned, Drug Saf. 2026 Jul 14, https://doi.org/10.1007/s40264-026-01685-3 under Epidemiology/General epidemiology.
Vectors
Sseguya I & al. investigated the development of pyrethroid resistance through a modeling study of implementing two different kinds of insecticide treated nets (ITNs). “The baseline scenario and four [ITN] utilization scenarios … were simulated over nine years to track malaria transmission, mosquito population and evolution of resistance. These were assessed, with pyrethroid-only nets deployed in the first two campaigns and pyrethroid piperonyl butoxide (PBO) nets deployed in the third campaign.” Their conclusion in Modelling the Impact of Mosquito Bed Net Utilization on Malaria Transmission and Evolution of Pyrethroid Resistance, PLoS One. 2026 Jul 15; 21(7):e0353301, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0353301 was that “protection against malaria infection by both pyrethroid-only and pyrethroid-PBO nets was not sustained over the campaign period and this worsened with lower utilization levels. Pyrethroid-PBO nets provided greater mosquito suppression and better protection under standard utilization, … repeated pyrethroid-only campaigns accelerate the evolution of pyrethroid resistance…”
Owori B & al. report in Ownership, Coverage, and Determinants of Utilization of Long-Lasting Insecticidal Nets in a High Malaria Transmission Setting in Uganda: A Cross-Sectional Study, Malaria J, 2026 Aug 6, https://doi.org/10.1186/s12936-026-06095-5 that “among 441 households selected from four sub-counties … [ITN] ownership was nearly universal, with 95.7% … of households reporting at least one [ITN]. However, only 47.6% … had adequate coverage (≥ 1 net per two persons). Overall, 72.9% … of the study population reported sleeping under [an ITN] the previous night and 93.4% … of existing nets were utilized. In multivariable analysis, rural residence …, and adequate household [ITN] coverage … were significantly associated with [ITN] use. Net material was also significantly associated with use, with polyester … and polyethylene nets … being more likely to be used than [nets] made of both types of materials.
Hobbs NP & al. review the results of modeling the introduction of second generation ITNs what they call “next generation mixture” (NGM-ITN) in comparison to pyrethroid only (PYR-ITN), in Impact of Insecticide Resistance Evolution on Malaria Vector Control, PLoS Comput Biol. 2026 Aug 3; 22(8):e1014612, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1014612. “NGM-ITNs were superior to PYR-ITNs for … malaria vector control … Even when NGM-ITNs were deployed at reduced coverage (up to 30%) than PYR-ITNs (to account for their higher procurement costs), their transmission control efficacy remains superior to PYR-ITNs by providing an additional … benefit through reduced selection pressures. Moreover, [the authors] found that insecticide selection on male mosquitoes may be an important consideration for malaria vector control loss. While male mosquitoes do not contribute to transmission, they propagate resistance genes, and their importance in this process is a knowledge gap.”
Adeogun AO & al. provide a “comprehensive 5-year overview (2020–2024) of the resistance status and resistance mechanisms of Anopheles mosquitoes in Nigeria” in Insecticide Resistance Profile of the Anopheles gambiae s.l. Mosquitoes in Nigeria: a 5-Year Malaria Vector Surveillance Report, Malaria J, 2026 Aug 10, https://doi.org/10.1186/s12936-026-06083-9. “Widespread and persistent resistance to pyrethroid insecticides was detected throughout the study period. Mortality to permethrin remained consistently low (0–75%), indicating high levels of resistance across most locations. Resistance to deltamethrin and alphacypermethrin was also widespread but generally less pronounced …” In view of the findings, the authors urge “integrated vector control and … the use of non-pyrethroid insecticides.”
Hougbe SZ & al. “assessed the relationship between deltamethrin content and biological efficacy of Yorkool® [so-called long-lasting ITNs] over 18 months of household use in Benin. They recorded deltamethrin concentrations and biological efficacy in killing known susceptible An. gambiae at 12 and 18 months. While the deltamethrin concentration dropped by close to 18% over 18 months, killing efficacy remained high. “The relationship between insecticide concentration and mosquito mortality was positive but non-linear, suggesting a biological threshold effect.” In their paper, Durability of Yorkool® Long-Lasting Insecticidal Nets in Benin: Temporal Evolution of Deltamethrin Concentration Assessed Using Portable C-Vue HPLC Chromatography During Household Use, Malaria J, 2026 Aug 12, https://doi.org/10.1186/s12936-026-06103-8, the authors acknowledge two limitations of their conclusion: (1) no deltamethrin concentrations were measured past 18 months, calling into question whether the nets were “long-lasting” and (2) the use of known susceptible anophelines in the killing study does not reproduce real life conditions, namely the emerging mosquito resistance to pyrethroids, {as exemplified by the article cited immediately above---Benin is the Eastern neighbor of Nigeria}.
“A promising strategy in malaria prevention is vector control through mass drug administration (MDA) of ivermectin. A three-day ivermectin regimen (3 × 300 µg/kg) reduces mosquito survival, but campaigns may operationally struggle to achieve high coverage and adherence.” Kern C & al. compared “the exposure of this regimen to a single dose of 400µg/kg which may be easier to implement in MDAs.” As reported in Pharmacometric Analyses of Various Ivermectin Dose Regimens in Kenya to Inform Dosing in Mass Drug Administration Trials for Malaria Vector Control, Int J Infect Dis. 2026 Jul 27: 109010, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijid.2026.109010, “[t]rial simulations suggest that both regimens result in concentrations above the LC50 of Anopheles gambiae for 6.3-8.5 days, delivering a reasonable mosquito-killing window following ivermectin campaigns. … While both regimens yield comparable exposure, delivering a single 400 µg/kg dose could simplify implementation, reduce operational costs, and increase drug adherence.”
Faye MB & al. assessed “the contribution of An. funestus in malaria transmission in two health districts in Central Senegal” and report in Role of Anopheles funestus in Sustaining Residual Malaria Transmission in Central Senegal, Malaria J, 2026 Aug 14, https://doi.org/10.1186/s12936-026-06090-w that among 6,932 Anopheles mosquitoes collected during the dry season, 73.7% were identified as An. funestus, highlighting “the predominance of An. funestus and its important role in sustaining residual malaria transmission in central Senegal, even where overall transmission intensity remains low.”
Fonkou BNS & al. investigated how “escalating resistance influences mosquito vectorial capacity and shapes malaria transmission dynamics.” Their article, Escalating Pyrethroid Resistance in Anopheles funestus Increases Plasmodium Transmission, Malaria J, 2026 Aug 14, https://doi.org/10.1186/s12936-026-06094-6, reveals that is some of their study areas, wild caught An. funestus displayed low mortality rates in the laboratory, with only “33% mortality at the diagnostic dose (DD) and less than 95% mortality at 5 × and 10 × DD” of pyrethroids. “Mosquitoes killed by elevated doses of type II pyrethroids [such as deltamethrin] were significantly more infected with Plasmodium than survivors (p < 0.05). Additionally, those surviving the highest deltamethrin doses showed reduced vectorial capacity.” The authors suggest following up on this information when choosing bednets.
Lequechane JD & al. used a trial to “evaluate the efficacy of IR3535 as a spatial repellent in Tambai, a high-transmission rural area in central Mozambique.” Forty households were “randomly assigned to receive IR3535 spraying and 40 assigned to as a no-repellent control group. Plasmodium falciparum malaria prevalence was estimated in children under 5 years of age using polymerase chain reaction, before, at year one and at year two.” The results, reported in Field Evaluation of 3-(N-acetyl-n-butyl) Aminopropionic Acid Ethyl Ester - IR3535 as a Spatial Repellent to Control Malaria: A Randomised, Before-After-Control-Intervention Trial, PLoS One. 2026 Jul 30; 21(7):e0353351, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0353351 showed that the “total number of An. funestus s.l. females was lower in the repellent group compared with the control group …, as was the average number of mosquitoes collected per household [indoors: 18.6 vs 35.0; outdoors: 4.3 vs 7.1]. Spatiotemporal analysis revealed evidence of repellent-associated reduction in mosquito densities, with species-specific and indoor-outdoor differences, highlighting An. funestus s.l. dominance and spatial-temporal clustering patterns. P. falciparum prevalence among children under five declined from 72.6% … at baseline to 51.3% … at year one and 43.3% … at the end of the study, [however] with similar reductions in both repellent and control groups.”
According to Harvey SA & al., “[s]patial repellents (SRs) show promise for malaria control.” In Perceived Efficacy and Acceptability of a Spatial Repellent for Malaria Control in Western Kenya: Lessons from a Qualitative Social Science Study Conducted in Conjunction with an Epidemiological Efficacy Trial, Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2026 Aug 11: tpmd250413, https://doi.org/10.4269/ajtmh.25-0413 they explored “acceptability and perceived efficacy … [of] Mosquito Shield™, a transfluthrin-impregnated SR. … Both intervention and control participants reported reduced mosquito activity inside homes after initial installation. Over time, most intervention participants reported continued efficacy. Controls, who received identical-looking placebo products, reported decreased efficacy. In both arms, participants mentioned discontinuing ITN use. Closely tied to perceived efficacy, acceptability was also influenced by the installation method, the number of units required, the replacement interval, and perceived community opinion. Spatial repellents seem likely to be accepted in this setting when they are perceived as effective and installed satisfactorily.”
“Among medicinal plants, Allium sativum L. (garlic) and Zingiber officinale Roscoe (ginger) are widely used in traditional medicine and are known to possess diverse biological activities.” Assemie A & Haile BB “evaluated the larvicidal activity of combined garlic and ginger against [various] mosquito species,” including An. gambiae. As reported in Larvicidal Activity of Solvent Extracts of Combined Garlic (Allium sativum) and Ginger (Zingiber officinale) Against Mosquito Species, Parasite Epidemiol Control. 2026 Jul 26; 34:e00526, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.parepi.2026.e00526, “[l]arvicidal activity showed a clear concentration-dependent increase, with methanol extract demonstrating the highest efficacy (up to 96.7 ± 3.3% mortality at 750 ppm), followed by ethanol and aqueous extracts.”
Abiy E & al. studied the environment of Anopheles larvae and report in their article, Anopheles Larval Ecology and Physicochemical Characterization of Larval Habitats in Dire Dawa: An Area Colonized by Anopheles stephensi in Eastern Ethiopia, Malaria J, 2026 Aug 1, https://doi.org/10.1186/s12936-026-06082-w. that “23,526 larvae and 1808 pupae of Anopheles mosquitoes were collected from 856 man-made habitats … and 53 natural habitats … in urban, peri-urban, and rural areas. Uncovered cemented cisterns were the main human-made larval habitats; river edges were the main natural habitats. Anopheles larvae were absent in the steel drums and plastic barrels at the rural sites.” They reared about 10% of collected larvae to adults and found that 74.8% were An. stephensi, 21.7% An. arabiensis and the rest other species.
“Unlike native vectors, An. stephensi thrives in both urban and rural areas, lacks clear seasonal peaks of abundance, and often breeds in artificial water containers. SumiLarv™ 2MR containing the larvicide pyriproxyfen (PPF) offers a promising method for controlling the immature stages of An. stephensi in such habitats.” Using artificial containers, Dagne A & al. evaluated the efficacy of SumiLarv™ 2MR against An. stephensi” and report in Field Evaluation of SumiLarv’” 2MR Larvicide for Controlling the Invasive Malaria Vector Anopheles stephensi in Ethiopia: a Randomised Controlled Trial, Malaria J, 2026 Aug 17, https://doi.org/10.1186/s12936-026-06089-3 that “[m]olecular analysis of morphologically identified adults from control containers and dead pupae from treatment containers confirmed that 98.91% were An.stephensi, [suggesting that] SumiLarv’” 2MR … is a suitable tool for controlling An. stephensi in large artificial water storage containers.”
According to Morianou I & al., “[g]ene drives designed to disrupt the reproductive capacity of females can suppress laboratory populations of the malaria mosquito, Anopheles gambiae. However, any suppressive intervention will inevitably exert an evolutionary pressure for resistance…” In Engineering Resilient Gene Drives for Sustainable Malaria Control by Predicting, Testing and Overcoming Target Site Resistance in Anopheles gambiae, PLoS Biol. 2026 Jul 6; 24(7):e3003879, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.3003879 the authors “present a pipeline to quantify the evolutionary space for resistance, enabling accelerated discovery, engineering, and testing of … variants that could reverse gene drive spread [and validate] gene drives in Anopheles gambiae, that target multiple conserved sites, actively removing resistant alleles. [The authors’] models predict that such gene drives could suppress large natural mosquito populations in the field.”
Hui TJ & al., Variance Partitioning Reveals Contrasting Random Effect Contributions to The Density and Species Composition of Malaria-Transmitting Mosquitoes in Western Burkina Faso, Parasit Vectors, 2026 Apr 18, https://doi.org/10.1186/s13071-026-07406-0 documents the variability of vector species in different communities; “An. coluzzii and An. gambiae, the two dominant vectors in the region, varied markedly across villages without an overall trend.” {An. stephensi, recently of concern in West Africa as well as elsewhere, is not mentioned as being present in the villages studied.}
Van Bortel W provides “an overview of the currently recommended malaria vector control tools in endemic countries and [examines] the principal challenges associated with sustaining effective malaria control in Vector Control for Malaria: Current Tools and Emerging Challenges, Clin Microbiol Infect, 2026 Aug 4, S1198-743X(26)00417-9, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cmi.2026.07.050. The author states: “Malaria vector control relies primarily on insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) and indoor residual spraying (IRS). Their effectiveness depends largely on vector behaviours such as indoor biting and indoor resting. However, insecticide resistance, behavioural adaptation of mosquitoes, shifts in vector species composition, and the spread of the invasive species An. stephensi pose significant challenges. … Although complementary tools targeting other stages of the mosquito life cycle are available, optimizing coverage, durability, quality, and equitable access to ITNs and IRS remains paramount. … supply chain weaknesses, funding gaps, inadequate surveillance, and limited community engagement, can undermine impact.”
“Despite a decade of indoor residual spraying, malaria remains holoendemic in Nchelenge District in northern Zambia. [Gebhardt ME & al.] examined the hypothesis that the intransigence of malaria … is due in part to early evening and outdoor foraging of local anopheline species.” The authors set outdoor and indoor traps and collected them before 10 PM. “Specimens with detectable human blood and Plasmodium falciparum positive specimens were found in all three trap types, indicating that infected anopheline foraging occurred before 22:00.” The authors conclude that “malaria transmission is not limited to late-night, indoor settings…” The paper is Early-Evening Indoor and Outdoor Foraging by Major Malaria Vectors in Nchelenge, Zambia, PLOS Glob Public Health. 2026 Jul 27; 6(7):e0005307, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgph.0005307.
Torroella MR & al. determined that using an AI-assisted automated vector surveillance tool was more economical than using vector control officers to collect and identify mosquitoes. Their paper, Cost Comparison of Community-Based Vector Surveillance Using VectorCamTM, an AI-Enabled Mosquito Identification Tool, Versus Routine Entomological Surveillance in Uganda, Malaria J, 2026 Aug 1, https://doi.org/10.1186/s12936-026-06029-1 doesn’t comment on the accuracy of the tool.
“Gene drive-modified mosquitoes are designed to be more specific vector control tools than chemical insecticides. However, the potential for spread and persistence of engineered gene drive constructs within interbreeding mosquito populations has raised concerns about possible negative effects on biodiversity.” Abram PK & al., Considerations for Postrelease Environmental Safety Monitoring of Gene Drive-Modified Mosquitoes as a Tool for Malaria Control in Sub-Saharan Africa, Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2026 Aug 4: tpmd260049, https://doi.org/10.4269/ajtmh.26-0049 proposes a “systematic approach to safety monitoring that is risk proportionate, considers ecological priorities and stakeholder concerns, and is practicable to implement in malaria-endemic countries. Suggested methods aim to achieve maximal decision-making value within available resources. … Intensity and coverage of monitoring reflect characteristics of both the [gene drive modified mosquitoes] and the ecological indicator species, with allowance for adjusting the plan in response to initial results, ongoing observations, and regulator feedback.”
Despite its focus on different species of mosquitoes and venue of the study in Latin America, Cardenas R & al., Epidemiological Impact of a Dual-Action Insecticidal Coating Applied to Aedes aegypti Breeding Sites on Dengue Transmission in Colombia: A Cluster-Randomised Trial, Lancet Infect Dis, 2026 Aug 19, https://doi.org/10.1016/S1473-3099(26)00363-4 may be relevant to the fight against malaria in Africa as well. “The intervention consisted of applying the protective coating (containing microencapsulated pyriproxyfen and alpha-cypermethrin) to indoor ground-level water containers (used for cleaning and washing)” in over 13,000 households with a 12 month follow up to measure incidence of dengue. The intervention significantly reduced dengue incidence and Aedes aegypti infestation over 12 months at the cost of USD 2 per household. Abad-Franch F & Gorla DE, Insecticidal Paints for Vector and Vector-Borne Disease Control, Lancet Infect Dis, 2026 Aug 19, https://doi.org/10.1016/S1473-3099(26)00413-5 is a related editorial. {These results may be especially relevant to areas invaded by An. stephensi.}
Chemoprophylaxis
“Sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP) remains central to malaria chemoprevention through intermittent preventive treatment in pregnancy, intermittent preventive treatment in infancy, and seasonal malaria chemoprevention, despite widespread resistance in Plasmodium falciparum.” Ndung'u L & al., Regional Patterns and Temporal Trends of Pfdhfr and Pfdhps Markers of Antifolate Resistance in Plasmodium falciparum in East and West Africa, 2010-2025: A Systematic Review, Acta Trop. 2026 Jul 12: 108237, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actatropica.2026.108237 is a report on literature search and analysis of the genetic markers of such resistance. “Temporal analyses showed persistently high prevalence of the major markers across [East Africa] whereas in West Africa Pfdhfr mutations and A437G remained moderate to high over time but K540E stayed low. These findings show marked regional heterogeneity in the genetic architecture of SP resistance and may support region-specific molecular surveillance and interpretation of SP-resistance risk.”
Ogba P & al. interviewed 36 pregnant women in rural Nigeria in order to understand why the reported use of the WHO-recommended Intermittent Preventive Treatment of pregnancy with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine is so rare. They report in Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behavioural Intentions Toward IPTp-SP Use Among Pregnant Women in Rural Nigeria: A Theory of Reasoned Action Approach, Malaria World J 2026 Jul 28, 17:17, https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21644673 that even the minority of women who have heard about the recommendation were reluctant to avail themselves of it. Reasons cited were poor access to antenatal care and supposed lack of availability of the combination tablet (Fansidar).
Please see Langat AK & al., Malaria in Pregnancy Across Sub-Saharan Africa: A Scoping Review of Prevalence, Risk Factors, and Preventive Interventions, Int J Infect Dis. 2026 Jul 23: 108983, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijid.2026.108983 below, under Epidemiology/General epidemiology
“Children under 5 in northern Benin remain highly vulnerable to malaria infection. Seasonal malaria chemoprevention (SMC), implemented since 2019, shows promise in reducing this burden.” Sonounameto RC & al. retrieved routine malaria indicators “from the Health Management Information System from six SMC-treated health zones (HZs) [and compared them] against synthetic counterfactuals constructed using nine eligible untreated HZs.” They report in Assessing the Effectiveness of Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention on Malaria Burden Among Children Under 5 in Northern Benin: A Statistical Modelling Approach, BMJ Public Health. 2026 Jul 27; 4(3):e004335, https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjph-2025-004335 that “[f]ollowing SMC implementation, severe malaria incidence decreased by 41% in the intervention … but increased by 26% in the control group … Although uncomplicated malaria incidence rose in both groups, the increase was significantly lower in the SMC group (2.49%) compared with the control (16.3%). … confirming a protective effect of SMC on both outcomes.”
Other
War is generally regarded as a serious negative factor in public health. Ewinetu MK & al., Malaria Prevention Practice and Associated Factors Among Residents in Fogera District, Ethiopia, During the Armed Conflict Between Amhara Fano Forces and the Federal Government, 2025, Malaria J. 2026 Jul 21, https://doi.org/10.1186/s12936-026-06035-3 is an example how preventive measures against malaria are not followed to the extent known to be effective. In a survey with close to 800 responses, the authors found that only “48% of respondents had good practice of malaria prevention and control interventions. Predictors including male gender …, urban residence …, having bed net … and adequate knowledge … were significantly associated with malaria prevention practice. … one-third of the participants had no bed net.”
Demarta-Gatsi C & al. inoculated mice with Plasmodium parasites, then, during the liver stage of infection administered “Cabamiquine (CBQ), a Plasmodium translation elongation factor 2 inhibitor, [that] arrests parasite growth during both the liver and blood stages of infection.” During blood stage, mice received CBQ and pyronaridine, a known antimalarial. “CBQ treatment during liver-stage infection induced durable protective immunity against homologous and heterologous sporozoite challenge, reduced disease severity, and was associated with liver-resident memory CD8+ T cells. CBQ administered with pyronaridine during blood-stage infection elicited stage-specific immunity that limited parasitemia and protected against severe malaria following homologous or heterologous challenge. Together, these findings demonstrate that CBQ-based infection-and-treatment can combine effective parasite clearance with induction of protective immune responses following both liver- and blood-stage infections.” The article is In-life Chemical Inactivation of Plasmodium Parasites by Cabamiquine Induces Long Lasting Immune Protection, J Infect Dis. 2026 Aug 11: jiag402, https://doi.org/10.1093/infdis/jiag402.
Diagnosis
General diagnostics
According to Bourriez N & al., the diagnosis of malaria “currently heavily relies on microscopic examination of blood smears. However, several studies comparing the sensitivity of this approach with qPCR {quantitative polymerase chain reaction}, considered as the most sensitive method albeit not available on the field, found that up to half of the infected population failed to be detected by microscopy alone because no visible parasites could be found in blood smears.” They claim in Detection of Malaria Infection from Parasite-Free Blood Smears, Malaria J. 2026 Jul 17, https://doi.org/10.1186/s12936-026-06047-z that by subjecting the thin blood smear to AI-assisted analysis, the shape of red blood cells will yield “proof of concept.” However, when they tested this hypothesis on blood specimens from patients with negative blood smears by positive pCR, they found the method to yield “62.0% … accuracy and reaching 67.2% … in sensitivity.”
Field diagnostics
Lima A & al. contrast the skill level and extra time needed to diagnose malaria using microscopy with a new PCR test, on which they report in Validation of a Semi-Quantitative Real-Time PCR Assay for Malaria Diagnosis and Treatment Monitoring, J Mol Diagn. 2026 Jul 20: S1525-1578(26)00120-0, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmoldx.2026.06.005. The authors claim that this test is specific for P. falciparum and P. vivax, takes two hours or less to perform, “with capability of providing parasite density estimation to improve diagnosis and monitor treatment of malaria.”
“Rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) based on histidine-rich protein 2 (HRP2) are the main diagnostic tool for malaria in Niger and many countries in sub-Saharan Africa. However, deletions of the P. falciparum hrp2 and hrp3 genes can compromise RDT performance, and pose a threat to diagnostic accuracy.” Issa I & al.’s article, First Detection of pfhrp2 and pfhrp3 Gene Deletions in Niger Republic: A Retrospective Sub-Analysis of Biological Samples, Malaria J, 2026 Jul 27, https://doi.org/10.1186/s12936-026-06069-7 presents the first “molecular evidence of Pfhrp2 and Pfhrp3 deletions in P. falciparum in Niger. The observed pfhrp2 deletion rate is a significant molecular finding; however, further evidence is needed to determine if the rate of false-negative RDTs caused by these deletions reaches the 5% threshold set by WHO for a national RDT policy revision.”
RDTs “have revolutionized malaria diagnosis in endemic settings. RDTs are simple to use and accurate for clinical cases, although sensitivity is reduced at parasite densities below 200 parasites/μl. However, increasing prevalence of hrp2/3 gene deletions in certain areas threaten utility of histidine-rich protein 2 (HRP2)-based RDTs, and lingering HRP2 antigenemia can generate false-positive results after parasite clearance.” Steinhardt LC & Hwang J summarize “current performance of malaria RDTs, threats to their validity, and recent innovations to improve their performance and continued role in malaria diagnosis” in Malaria Rapid Diagnostic Tests: Performance, Pitfalls, and Progress, Curr Opin Infect Dis. 2026 Aug 6, https://doi.org/10.1097/qco.0000000000001228 “Newly prequalified lactate dehydrogenase (pLDH)-based RDTs perform well for both Plasmodium falciparum in areas with >5% hrp2/3 gene deletions and for Plasmodium vivax diagnosis. Several point-of-care alternatives to RDTs, including micro-fluidic devices, hemozoin-detecting devices, and automated hematology analyzers, have shown promising results in small studies, but require larger-scale trials before widespread use.”
Mensah BT & al. tested 345 asymptomatic individuals in a hospital in Ghana in order to assess “the burden of submicroscopic P. falciparum infections and their association with anemia among outpatients…” and report in Submicroscopic Malaria Parasite Carriage and Hemoglobin Levels Among Outpatients Attending the Laboratories of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Malaria J, 2026 Aug 7, https://odi.org/10.1186/s12936-026-06026-4 that the “overall prevalence of asymptomatic P. falciparum infection was 35.0% …, with 18.9% microscopic and 16.1% submicroscopic infections. Both infection types were significantly associated with lower hemoglobin levels.” A specialized version of PCR was used to identify infections not seen by microscopy. This paper can also be cited under Epidemiology/General epidemiology.
“Malaria diagnosis in Uganda rests almost entirely on rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) detecting histidine rich protein 2 (HRP2), an antigen expressed only by Plasmodium falciparum. Infections with non-falciparum species are therefore invisible to the national testing algorithm by design.” Nantalaga KC & al. “analysed the 2024–25 Uganda Malaria Indicator Survey, in which children aged 6 to 59 months were tested by HRP2 based RDT and by real time PCR with species determination.” Each of P. vivax, P. malariae, and P. ovale were present in a few children, sometimes as monoinfection, sometimes along with P. falciparum. As a result, they conclude in Non-Falciparum Malaria and the Blind Spot of HRP2 Based Rapid Diagnostic Tests: A Nationally Representative PCR Study of Children in the 2024–25 Uganda Malaria Indicator Survey, Malaria J, 2026 Aug 21, https://doi.org/10.1186/s12936-026-06106-5 that approximately “one Ugandan child in a hundred carries a malaria infection that HRP2 based RDTs cannot detect, and such infections account for more than a fifth of all infections the RDT misses … This is a structural limitation of the diagnostic, not a failure of test quality, and it will not be resolved by improving HRP2 test performance.”
Cole OA & al. developed a “model in which diagnostic sensitivity acts as a bifurcation parameter partitioning individuals infected with uncomplicated malaria into treated and false-negative pathways, … Seven intervention strategies spanning vector control, diagnostics, and treatment allocation were compared via simulations using two complementary outcomes: time for the parasite reservoir to reach ≤ 10% of baseline, and cumulative severe case-days. They report in Optimizing Malaria Diagnostic Sensitivity as a Prerequisite for Targeted Vector Control and Rational Antimalarial Deployment: A Compartmental Modeling Analysis, Epidemics. 2026 Aug 9; 56:100941, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epidem.2026.100941 that “[r]aising sensitivity from 0.95 to 0.98 reduced false-negative cases by 60% and mortality by 14%. The top-ranked strategy (90% diagnostic allocation) reached the modeled reservoir threshold 29% faster and 46% cheaper than current ITN-focused practice. Programmatic experiences from Rwanda and Cabo Verde, which have approached or achieved elimination under diagnostic-prioritized frameworks were qualitatively, though not formally, consistent with model predictions.”
New diagnostic methods
Murugan S & al., A Federated Attention-Based Stacked LSTM Framework for Interpretable Malaria Diagnosis Under Simulated Non-IID Federated Conditions, Sci Rep. 2026 Jul 17, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-62791-x is included in this report because it appears to promote a new information system approach to diagnosis based on microscopy. The authors claim that “[m]icroscopic blood smear images are transformed into patch-level sequential representations (100 × 75), enabling spatial dependency modeling through stacked LSTM layers. A temperature-controlled attention mechanism identifies diagnostically relevant regions, and interpretability is quantitatively assessed using attention entropy and causal deletion-insertion analysis. The proposed model achieved 94.39% accuracy in centralized training and 94.95% accuracy in a simulated three-client federated learning setting with heterogeneous data partitions.”
Other
Based on official data collected in seven sub-Saharan African countries, Konja BA & al. conclude in Targeting Childhood Malaria: Insights from Multi-Country DHS Data in Sub-Saharan Africa, BMC Pediatr. 2026 Jul 21, https://doi.org/10.1186/s12887-026-07245-z that “[m]alaria prevalence was higher by self-report (33.5%) than by RDT diagnosis (25.2%) … Self-reported malaria showed overestimated malaria prevalence and produced weaker and less consistent associations with established risk factors, indicating limited reliability for identifying true malaria infection patterns. In contrast, malaria RDT diagnosis generated more coherent and epidemiologically plausible associations with rural residence, socioeconomic status, nutritional status, and pregnancy, reflecting more accurately the biological and environmental determinants of malaria transmission.”
Treatment
Treatment results
Deressa JD & al. “evaluated the efficacy of artemether-lumefantrine (AL) combined with a single low dose of primaquine (PQ) for treating uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum” infections diagnosed by microscopy and RDT. After exclusions (such as pregnant women) they report the results of 118 patients in their paper, Therapeutic Efficacy of Artemether-Lumefantrine Plus Single Low Dose Primaquine for the Treatment of Uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum Malaria in a High Transmission Setting, Western Ethiopia, PLoS One. 2026 Jul 17; 21(7):e0335833, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0335833. While 6.9% of patients still had parasitemia on day 3, 100% of all were afebrile and clear on microscopy on day 7. By day 28, 25 patients were either febrile or had parasitemia again; most were judged to have been reinfected, yielding a treatment success rate of 93.2%. {The paper is silent on whether the patients were screened for glucose 6 phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency, but states that the treatment regimen was in accordance with government guidelines.}
Side effects and complications
None this month
Guidelines
Ngala JC conducted a study of adherence to WHO treatment guidelines in four health facilities … for … one year” with the participation of 9,940 patients. … Pre- and post-ACTs/artesunate prescription data [were] captured using standardized case record forms.” As reported in Evaluation of Adherence to WHO Guidelines for Prescription of Artemisinin Combination Therapy (ACTs) and Artesunate in Kilifi County, Kenya, Malaria J, 2026 Aug 12, https://doi.org/10.1186/s12936-026-06097-3, “[a]dherence to WHO guidelines for diagnosis of malaria was, at 99% …, with [RDT] as the most used technique, at 74% …. Adherence to WHO guidelines for prescription of ACTs was, at 48% …, with Coartem as the most prescribed ACT, at 98% …. Adherence to WHO guidelines for prescription and administration of artesunate was, at 82% …. Artesunate injection was administered to all cases of severe malaria.” This represents substantial improvement in guideline adherence as noted by the author.
Drug resistance
Kapesa A & al., Plasmodium falciparum Non-Synonymous kelch13 Mutations Mediating Artemisinin Resistance in East Africa: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis: 2014-2024, PLoS One. 2026 Jul 28; 21(7):e0354429, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0354429 summarizes and analyzes 24 articles on the subject between 2014 and 2024. While the overall prevalence of the mutations was 5%, articles from Kenya and Rwanda yielded evidence of 10% prevalence.
“… the spread of artemisinin resistance linked to kelch13 (pfk13) mutations poses a major global concern.” Ulusan Bağcı Ö & al. point out in Efficacy of Artemisinin Derivatives and kelch13 Mutations in Plasmodium falciparum: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis, Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg. 2026 Jul 30: trag086, https://doi.org/10.1093/trstmh/trag086, however, that analysis of 30 papers showed that artemisinin combination therapy continues to be efficacious in uncomplicated malaria throughout the world, despite the increase in the pfk13 mutations, which are more numerous in Asia than elsewhere. The authors conclude that “[w]hile ACTs remain highly effective, the marked geographical variation and persistence of resistance-associated mutations underscore the need for integrated molecular surveillance and therapeutic efficacy monitoring.”
Geleta D & al. genotyped parasite isolates from 15 patients with confirmed clinical, recurrent P. falciparum malaria for molecular markers associated with drug resistance. Three of the parasites tested (20 %) were positive for the WHO-registered genetic variant responsible for partial artemisinin resistance. The article is Recurrent Parasitemias with Artemisinin Partial Resistance Mutations During the 2024 Ethiopia Malaria Resurgence: A Case Series, Malaria J, 2026 Jul 31, https://doi.org/10.1186/s12936-026-06078-6.
“In Ghana, artemether-lumefantrine (AL), and artesunate-amodiaquine (AS-AQ) are the main first-line ACTs for uncomplicated malaria, with dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine (DHA-PPQ) as an alternative treatment regimen. Copy Number Polymorphisms (CNPs) in Plasmodium falciparum multidrug resistance 1 (pfmdr1) and plasmepsin 2 (pfpm2) genes, as well as specific pfmdr1 haplotypes have been implicated in resistance to AL and DHA-PPQ partner drugs.” Kassim AR & al., High Prevalence of pfmdr1 and pfpm2 Amplification and pfmdr1 Haplotypes in Plasmodium falciparum Isolates Circulating in Ghana, Malaria J, 2026 Aug 1, https://doi.org/10.1186/s12936-026-06075-9 reports that testing 900 clinical isolates from various regions of Ghana yielded “[s]uccessful pfmdr1 and pfpm2 amplifications … in 32.0% (n = 288) and 27.8% (n = 250) isolates respectively. … Pfmdr1 haplotype analysis … revealed a high prevalence (55.6%) of the NFD haplotype linked to lumefantrine selection. … These findings provide a critical baseline for ongoing molecular surveillance as an early warning for ACT partner drug resistance in Ghana.”
Chala B & al. state that “[a]rtemisinin partial resistance (ART-R) has been confirmed in four sub-Saharan African countries since 2020, but evidence from Ethiopia is limited to molecular surveys without phenotypic confirmation. [The authors] aimed to determine whether ART-R met WHO criteria in Ethiopian Plasmodium falciparum populations during 2024-25, integrating day-3 parasite positivity after artemether-lumefantrine treatment, Pfkelch13 genotyping, and the ring-stage survival assay [on] field isolates.” They report in Clinical, Molecular, and in vitro Evidence of Artemisinin Partial Resistance in Ethiopian Plasmodium falciparum: a Prospective, Multisite, Surveillance Study, Lancet Infect Dis, 2026 Aug 4: S1473-3099(26)00301-4, https://doi.org/10.1016/S1473-3099(26)00301-4 that after studying P. falciparum specimens obtained from five treatment sites during 2024 and 2025, they determined that “Ethiopia is the fifth sub-Saharan African country now meeting WHO confirmation criteria for ART-R.”
“The emergence of antimalarial drug resistance threatens malaria control and elimination efforts in Africa. Ethiopia, once a success story in case reduction, is now experiencing a resurgence.” Letebo A & al. examined “key drug resistance genes (Pfmdr1, Pfcrt, Pfk13, Pfdhfr and Pfdhps) and mitochondrial genomes from 605 Plasmodium falciparum isolates collected across 15 districts in Ethiopia with varying transmission intensity and Plasmodium vivax co-endemicity.” As they report in Genomic Surveillance Reveals Co-Occurrence of Plasmodium falciparum Drug Resistance Variants Across Diverse Transmission Settings in Ethiopia, Nature Microbiol. 2026 Aug 5, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41564-026-02420-5, a dominant “haplotype, associated with reduced lumefantrine susceptibility, was identified alongside near fixation of the chloroquine-resistant … haplotype in specific areas. Concerningly, Pfk13 variants associated with partial artemisinin resistance, …, were expanding. … These findings highlight genetic co-occurrence of Pfcrt and Pfk13 mutations in P. vivax-P. falciparum co-endemic settings…”
“The WHO World Malaria Report 2025 confirmed partial artemisinin resistance in four African countries, specifically Eritrea, Rwanda, Uganda, and the United Republic of Tanzania, and identified suspected resistance in four additional countries including Ethiopia, Namibia, Sudan, and Zambia.” Musa SS & al., Artemisinin Resistance and Nigeria's Malaria Burden: Urgent Policy Imperatives from the WHO World Malaria Report 2025! Int J Equity Health. 2026 Aug 6; 25(1):184, https://doi.org/10.1186/s12939-026-02970-4 expresses great concern about resistance in Nigeria, because while “Nigeria is not among these countries, its absence most plausibly reflects the scarcity of systematic molecular surveillance from West Africa rather than any confirmed safety from emerging resistance.” Furthermore, Nigeria “accounted for an estimated 24.3% of global malaria cases and 30.3% of all malaria deaths in 2024 … [and reported] mutations correlate with delayed parasite clearance.” Drawing on experience in Southeast Asia, the authors urge Nigeria to “implement multiple first-line therapies, expand surveillance and diversify policy urgently.”
Niaré K & al. explore the occurrence of mutation clusters in P. falciparum that render the parasite partially or totally resistant to a variety of antimalarials in Emergence and Spread of Plasmodium falciparum PX1 Polymorphisms Associated with Decreased Susceptibility to Antimalarials in Uganda, Nature Med, 2026 Aug 17, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-026-04590-5. In 157 whole-genome sequences of P. falciparum from Uganda, one or another of the mutations associated with resistance to three different antimalarials were found in over 50% of samples studied.
Oliveira R & al. describe a new assay for partial artemisinin resistance in P. falciparum in Ex vivo Susceptibility to Dihydroartemisinin in Plasmodium falciparum Patient Isolates from Eastern Rwanda, 2025, Malaria J, 2026 Aug 19, 25:303, https://doi.org/10.1186/s12936-026-06107-4. On genetic testing, 8 of 19 specimens showed mutations associated with resistance. With regard to the new method of testing, compared to the previous one, deemed too cumbersome, the authors were non-committal.
New drug research
Zhou B & al. claim to have identified an orally effective single-dose antiplasmodial in their paper, Identification of an Orally Efficacious Imidazo[4,5- c]pyridine-6-Carboxamide Antimalarial with a High Barrier to Resistance, J Med Chem, 2026 May 14; 69(9):11292-311, https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jmedchem.6c00461. Their work involved Plasmodium yoeli, a mouse parasite, as the target organism. “This compound is unaffected by over 40 distinct target- and efflux-based resistance mutations …, suggesting a novel mode of action. Furthermore, at [an] inoculum of resistance of 109 parasites, [the compound] proved refractory to resistance selection.
One of the ways to develop new antimicrobial agents in our age of electronic databases is to start from a large collection of chemicals and screen them for specified criteria chosen to reflect potential activity against specific components of the target infectious agent. Ng'etich JK & al.’s article, High-Throughput Phenotypic Screening Identifies Novel Antimalarial Scaffolds and Target-Associated Chemotypes, Int J Parasitol Drugs Drug Resist. 2026 Jul 9; 31:100658, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpddr.2026.100658 is a description of this process, starting from a database of over 36,000 chemicals and ending with a subset of 350 compounds with “novel scaffolds with antiplasmodial potency that bear no structural resemblance to known antimalarial compounds. Collectively, these findings highlight novel chemotypes associated with validated antiplasmodial targets … These compounds provide a foundation for further investigation of their mechanisms of action and optimization as potential antimalarial agents.
Dias BKM & al. “investigated the antimalarial activity of 6-Anilinopurine derivatives originally developed for their anticancer chemotherapeutic properties.” They describe their results in Repurposing 6-Anilinopurine Derivatives That Exhibit PfHDAC1 Inhibition and Antimalarial Activity Against Asexual and Sexual Stages of Plasmodium falciparum, ACS Omega. 2026 Jul 6; 11(28):41385-95, https://doi.org/10.1021/acsomega.5c12744. The compounds tested exhibited “nanomolar activity against the asexual stages of Plasmodium falciparum wild-type and chloroquine-resistant strains in vitro. Moreover, 13 out of 14 compounds tested showed gametocidal activity after 48 h treatment, indicating their ability to inhibit the transmission of parasites from the human host to the mosquito vector. The activity of these compounds is attributed to the inhibition of P. falciparum HDAC1, an important enzyme in the parasite's development.” {These compounds have potential adverse effects on humans. This article confines itself to tests in the laboratory against the parasite.}
Nutriosomes are “phospholipid nanovesicles specifically designed for intestinal protection” (https://doi.org/10.1039/c7nr05929a). Fulgheri F & al. combined apigenin, a plant-derived flavonoid substance with artemisinin in a specially designed nutriosome in order to protect the combination from stomach acid. Feeding it to P. falciparum infected mice “resulted in survival rates similar to those observed for artemisinin solution.” The paper is unclear how this combination is useful in situations of artemisinin resistance. See A Novel Oral Combination Strategy for Malaria Treatment Based on Artemisinin and Apigenin Co-Loaded in Silica-Doped Nutriosomes, Travel Med Infect Dis. 2026 Aug 6; 73:103013, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tmaid.2026.103013.
Not new drugs, but possible new combination of existing drugs is the aim of Eya'ane Meva F & al., as described in Metabolomics Reveals Potentiated Metabolic Perturbations Induced by Antimalarial Drug Combinations Against Plasmodium falciparum in vitro, Exp Parasitol. 2026 Jul 17, 109171, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.exppara.2026.109171. “Drug combinations generated metabolic responses that are distinct from those resulting from individual treatments. Across antifolate combinations, consistent trends included reduced amino acid pools, suppression of thiamine and glutathione metabolism …, leading to broad disruption of nucleotide, redox, and carbon metabolism. Pyrimidine suppression has emerged as the central hallmark of antifolate-based therapy in P. falciparum. The distinct metabolic perturbations observed with drug combinations suggest enhanced pathway-level responses that may contribute to improved antiplasmodial activity and inform future combination strategies.”
Plant extracts and traditional treatments
Antimalarial drugs derived from plants, artemisinin and its derivatives, and quinine, are among the currently available antimalarial drug therapies. Communities in Kenya, Ethiopia, and Pakistan have used Ajuga integrifolia {a low-growing perennial plant in the mint family} to treat malaria in folk medicine. Ochora DO & al., In vivo Antimalarial Activity and Acute Toxicity of Organic and Aqueous Leaf, Stem and Root Extracts of Ajuga integrifolia Buch.-Ham. ex D. Don, J Ethnopharmacol. 2026 Jul 29; 372:122257, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2026.122257 is a report on the effects of various extracts of the plant on Plasmodium infected mice. “Oral acute toxicity tests showed that organic leaf, stem, and root extracts were safe at 500 mg/kg, and aqueous leaf and stem extracts were safe at 1000 mg/kg. … Organic and aqueous extracts from the aerial parts (leaves and stems) of A. integrifolia exhibited inhibition of the erythrocyte stage of parasite growth within malaria-infected Swiss albino mice.”
Triterpenoids are compounds present in medicinal plants but also in many plants used for human food. Sikam KG & al.’s article, Naturally Occurring Triterpenoids from Plants as Potential Agents Against Malaria: A Review from 1994 to 2025, Phytochemistry. 2026 Jul 30; 252:115043, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.phytochem.2026.115043, “provides a comprehensive summary of data on antiplasmodial triterpenoids, compiled from primary literature spanning the last three decades, from 1994 to September 2025. It covers 279 structurally characterized compounds across 18 skeletal classes. The document includes an in-depth discussion on activity trends, structure-activity relationships (SAR), mechanistic findings, and multi-criteria evaluations for drug discovery.”
“The efficacy of first-line artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) in Nigeria is threatened by non-adherence to clinical guidelines. This includes the widespread use of traditional and herbal medicines (THMs) and discontinued monotherapies.” Odediji SA & al., Co-Administration of Traditional Remedies and Orthodox Antimalarials in Southwestern Nigeria: Prevalence, Demographic Correlates, and Implications for Treatment Policy, Malaria J, 2026 Aug 6, https://doi.org/10.1186/s12936-026-06088-4 explores “the prevalence of these practices.” On a survey of 1500 adults, “40.7% of respondents reported using THMs for malaria. Their use was independently associated with age ≥ 30 years …, female gender …, education at secondary level or below …, and rural residence …. THM users were significantly more likely to initiate treatment through informal sources … and to report using chloroquine (57.4%) and injectable artemisinin monotherapies. Overall awareness of drug resistance (34.2%) and ACT completion importance (25.3%) was low. … The findings provide an evidence base for the Nigerian Malaria Elimination Programme to design community-specific interventions, including vendor regulation and education campaigns targeting high-risk groups.”
Other
“Substandard and falsified … antimalarial medicines undermine malaria control efforts across sub-Saharan Africa, with an estimated 19% of antimalarials failing to meet quality standards and contributing to 40,000–160,000 preventable deaths annually.” Rutayisire R & al. subjected artemether-lumefantrine (AL) tablets from 19 sources throughout Rwanda (three supply chains) for quality and report in Pharmaceutical Quality of Artemether-Lumefantrine in Rwanda’s Public Health Supply Chain: A Cross-Sectional Post-Market Surveillance Study, Malaria J, 2026 Jul 27, https://doi.org/10.186/s12936-026-06063-z that all 3588 AL tablets tested complied with standards of active ingredients and physical characteristics required for optimal effectiveness. The authors conclude that this contrasts with “sub-Saharan Africa's 19% failure rate. Rwanda's centralized procurement, regulatory oversight, and WHO-prequalified sourcing demonstrate a replicable model for ensuring antimalarial quality and combating drug resistance.”
Campaigns and Policies
In Waweru E & al.’s article, Implementing Community Case Management of Malaria: Stakeholder Insights on Advancing Equitable Access in Kilifi County, PLOS Glob Public Health. 2026 Jul 6; 6(7):e0006478, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgph.0006478, community health workers are called community health promoters (CHPs). The authors examined “lessons from integrating CHPs in community case management of malaria (CCMm).” They conducted in-depth interviews with 41 stakeholders and conducted focus group interviews with 12 community members. “Stakeholders recognized CCMm as an effective approach for expanding access to malaria testing and treatment in underserved areas. In a pilot involving 10 facilities in Kilifi County, CHPs managed 17% (1,268 of 7,568) of malaria cases. Critical enablers included integration with the Kilifi County Department of Health, which supported CHP training, supervision, and supply of [RDTs]. Community trust and initial facility-based mentorship enhanced CHP competence and promoted acceptance of CHPs in their expanded roles. However, implementation faced challenges, including irregular antimalarial supplies, inconsistent CHP remuneration, limited logistical support, and weak integration with referral and information systems.”
“Mass drug administration (MDA) achieved … only transient control on Grande Comore. Following resurgence from 1061 cases in 2015 to 19,453 in 2018, a renewed MDA campaign was implemented on Grande Comore in 2019.” Li M & al., From Near-Elimination to Resurgence: A Comparative Analysis of Two Mass Drug Administration Campaigns on Grande Comore Island (2013–2024), Malaria J, 2026 Aug 4, https://doi.org/10.1186/s12936-026-06080-y “evaluates its effectiveness compared to the 2013 campaign to identify determinants of sustained suppression.” The authors found that “Round 1 coverage was 83.5%, declining to 58.0% in Round 2 …. Adverse events occurred in 0.3% of doses, with no severe events reported. Parasitemia declined by 92.7% after Round 1 and remained 96.5% below baseline at 15 months. Reported monthly cases declined by 79.7% from the pre‑MDA mean (1,731 cases/month) to the early post‑MDA mean (352 cases/ month), reaching a nadir of 192 cases in April 2020—an 88.2% reduction from baseline (1,621 cases/month). …. Cases remained below the 50% threshold (810 cases/month) for 19 consecutive months but rebounded to 53.7% above baseline by 2022–2024. In descriptive comparison with the 2013 campaign (99.1% reduction, > 48 months suppression), the 2019 campaign showed a lower reduction (88.2%) and shorter suppression duration (19 months).” The authors conclude that “[d]eclining second‑round coverage, weaker post‑MDA surveillance, and COVID‑19‑related disruptions may have contributed, but the historical comparison involves multiple confounders and precludes causal attribution. These findings should be interpreted as hypothesis‑generating for future malaria elimination strategies.”
Abubakar A & al. “evaluated the impact of an integrated on-the-job mentorship and supportive supervision (OJMS) model on malaria case management in Plateau State” and report on the basis of data collected from 25 Nigerian health care centers in Strengthening Malaria Case Management in Plateau State Through On-the-Job Mentorship and Supervision: Evaluating the Effects of Targeted Capacity Building on Diagnostic Accuracy and Data Quality, Malaria J, 2026 Aug 10, https://doi.org/10.1186/s12936-026-06051-3 that “[d]iagnostic coverage increased from 41% … to 97% … Confirmed malaria cases rose 5.6-fold, a change most consistent with improved case detection rather than a true rise in transmission. Provider compliance with Artemisinin-based Combination Therapy (ACT) increased from 40% … to 96% … Health worker knowledge scores improved from 50 to 86%, and supervision frequency increased by 238%. Reporting timeliness improved from 54 to 94%, and illogical data entries declined from 20 to 3%.”
Epidemiology
Climate change, biodiversity and environment
“Climate change is intensifying the threat of malaria in Africa by altering the geographical range, seasonality, and transmission intensity of the disease. Rising temperatures promote mosquito breeding and parasite development, whereas extreme weather events, particularly flooding, disrupt control efforts and create breeding sites, enabling their spread into previously unaffected highland areas.” Leal Filho W & al., Climate Change and Malaria in West Africa: A Review of Strategies to Handle One of the World's Most Prominent Anthroponoses, Lancet Planet Health. 2026 Jul 22:101484, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lanplh.2026.101484 is an assessment of “national malaria strategic plans and related policy documents from 11 west and central African countries, published between 2015 and 2025. [The authors] assessed incorporation of climate and weather information into malaria surveillance, early-warning systems, and vector-control planning. Although most countries recognise the influence of climate and seasonality on malaria transmission, explicit integration of climate data into planning and surveillance remains scarce. Ghana and Nigeria use advanced data-driven approaches, including predictive agent-based modelling and subnational stratification, to guide interventions, whereas Togo, Benin, Senegal, and The Gambia show emerging progress. However, most national malaria strategic plans remain reactive rather than predictive because of data, technical, and coordination gaps.”
According to Djaoué S & al.’s paper, Taking into Account the Influence of Climatic Factors and Age in the Mathematical Modeling and Analysis of the Dynamic Transmission of Malaria, J Math Biol. 2026 Jul 25; 93(2):22, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00285-026-02442-x, “geographical distribution and seasonality of the malaria cases observed are closely related to the climatic factors (temperature and precipitation) that influence its transmission dynamics. … [The authors] simultaneously [assessed] the impact of climate, the proportion of people who comply with malaria control measures, and the age structure of the population. To take into account the temporal variation of the defined parameters as a function of temperature and precipitation, [they] describe the dynamics of malaria transmission using a non-autonomous system of ordinary differential equations. … From numerical simulations, [they] assessed the threshold proportion of people who comply with the rules that is necessary to control malaria dynamics, which is 0.5.”
Using 50,425 surveys of malaria infection rates in sub-Saharan Africa, spanning 1900–2016, Carlson CJ & al. investigated the effects of climate change on childhood malaria. In The Past and Future Impact of Climate Change on Childhood Malaria in Africa, Nature, 2026 Jul 29, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-026-10840-w, the authors “estimate that rising temperatures have probably increased malaria in East and southern Africa, but averted a comparable number of cases in West Africa, with a net impact of 1 excess case per 1,000 children … across the continent. Over the coming century, [they] project that climate change could marginally accelerate the elimination of malaria in West and central Africa, where the present-day burden is highest; across the continent, this could avert 1 [case] per 1,000 children by the end of the century.”
Risk factors
Hosangadi D & al. evaluated the interaction between children’s growth and infection by P. falciparum in Malaria Incidence, Growth, and Their Relationship Among a Cohort of Malawian Children, Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2026 Jul 7: tpmd250568, https://doi.org/10.4269/ajtmh.25-0568. Observing 86 children over two years, they found that “[m]ore than 30% of children experienced P. falciparum infection within the first 6 months of life. Being mildly to moderately underweight was associated with a significantly higher incidence of P. falciparum infection in the subsequent 3 months …. Being mildly to moderately underweight at birth was associated with a shorter time to the first asymptomatic P. falciparum infection.”
“Led by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington, Seattle (USA), the [Global Burden of Disease study (https://www.thelancet.com/gbd/about)] offers a powerful resource to understand the changing health challenges facing people across the world in the 21st century.” Wang Y & al. use data from the 2021 study to inform their work, published as Global, Regional, and National Burden of Malaria and Dengue from 1992 to 2021, with Projections to 2036: An Age-Period-Cohort Analysis, Trop Med Infect Dis. 2026 Jul 17; 11(7):201, https://doi.org/10.3390/tropicalmed11070201. “From 1992 to 2021, the global age-standardized incidence rate (ASIR) of malaria decreased … SDI [Socio-Demographic Index] was inversely correlated with ASIR for malaria … From 2021 to 2036, … In males, the projected ASIR of malaria … increased by 4.18% … In females, the corresponding [increase was] 4.87%
In a study of 268 children, Toure AA & al., Sociodemographic and Socioeconomic Predictors of Asymptomatic Malaria Among Children and Adolescents in Rural Guinea: A Longitudinal Study, Front Public Health. 2026 Jul 23; 14:1891980, https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2026.1891980 reports asymptomatic malaria to be present in 5.2% of 10-14 year olds during the rainy season, while other age groups (ages 1-9 and 15-19) had lower rates. The authors also state that “participants from households headed by individuals aged 35-49 years had higher odds of malaria infection than those from households headed by younger adults aged 22-34 years.” {These rates are considerably below those reported from other sub-Saharan countries, as well as below the 13.5% reported among 3665 children in a recent Rotary-funded study elsewhere in Guinea [personal communication]}
A study of randomly selected 522 adult and child inhabitants in a Tanzanian district, Ipembe SJ & al., Prevalence of Malaria and Its Environmental and Socio-Cultural Determinants in Tandahimba District Council, Mtwara Region, Tanzania, Malaria World J 2026 Aug,17:18, https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21921534, reports that “[e]nvironmental factors significantly associated with malaria included earth mud/grass wall materials … and open eaves …, while metal sheet roofing was protective …. Socio-cultural factors such as travel history … and staying outdoors at night … increased malaria risk. Protective factors included bednet use, mosquito repellents, and mosquito sprays.” Prevalence of malaria was reported by the participants to be 66.6%, but it is unclear over what period.
Rajaguru V & al. studied the “prevalence of malaria parasitemia and … factors associated with malaria parasitemia among children under five years of age with severe acute malnutrition admitted to [a hospital in] Burundi, between 2023 and 2024.” As reported in Factors Associated with Malaria Parasitemia in Hospitalized Children Under Five Years of Age with Severe Acute Malnutrition in Burundi: A Retrospective Cross-Sectional Study, Malaria J, 2026 Aug 19, https://doi.org/10.1186/s12936-026-06074-w, among the 150 malaria-positive children (31.2% of all admitted for malnutrition), children who did not use mosquito nets had nearly twice the odds of malaria parasitemia. Compared with children whose fathers were farmers, those whose fathers were civil servants or merchants had significantly lower odds of malaria parasitemia. Edema and lack of mosquito net use were associated with malaria parasitemia among boys, whereas age younger than 6 months was associated with malaria parasitemia among girls.
General epidemiology
“Malaria in pregnancy (MiP) is a significant public health concern in high-burden malaria countries and a key predictor of high-risk pregnancies in Cameroon.” Tasségning AM & al., Enhancing Malaria-in-Pregnancy Monitoring: Stakeholder Experiences and Data Integration into the BornFyne-PNMS Digital Platform in Cameroon, BMJ Glob Health. 2026 Jul 6; 11(7):e020527, https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjgh-2025-020527 “documents the data gaps for MiP identified by the digital health platform, BornFyne, project team in collaboration with the [Ministry of Public Health. The authors outline] lessons learnt in identifying and defining MiP-related indicators through stakeholder engagement across various levels, and identifying priority MiP elements for health facility registers for integration into the BornFyne digital platform.”
“The rollout of new vaccines in low- and middle-income countries often faces significant challenges due to underdeveloped disease surveillance and pharmacovigilance practices for monitoring vaccine safety and effectiveness.” Haine V & al., Enhancing Disease Surveillance and Pharmacovigilance Practices for RTS,S/AS01(E) Malaria Vaccine Rollout in Ghana, Kenya, and Malawi: Strategies, Impact, Challenges, and Lessons Learned, Drug Saf. 2026 Jul 14, https://doi.org/10.1007/s40264-026-01685-3 describes the “capacity-building experience, including targeted training strategies and accompanying paper-based and digital tools developed to improve detection, diagnosis, and reporting of adverse events of special interest (AESIs) and adverse events following immunization (AEFIs).” As a result of their Phase IV post-implementation study, the authors report that across “the three countries involved in the pilot implementation, 90% of reported AESIs and AEFIs were documented …. Trainings were generally well received; however, digital tools were underutilized due to the perceived operational burden and user preferences. The repeated use of similar training materials across sessions required the introduction of new clinical cases and knowledge quizzes to maintain participant engagement. … resource limitations, including intermittent connectivity and logistical constraints, posed practical challenges.”
Hicks JT & al. used datasets from IPTp and general malaria incidence in six African countries to construct seasonal models of malaria incidence in pregnancy. As a result, they conclude in Disentangling Patterns of Community Malaria Transmission and Burden Using Malaria Prevalence Among Pregnant Women Attending Antenatal Care: A Modelling Study, Lancet Microbe. 2026 Jul 15:101415, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lanmic.2026.101415 that the results support “clinically relevant seasonality in incidence for the broader community, enabling subnational timing of seasonal interventions (such as seasonal malaria chemoprevention).”
A “well-established epidemiologic association exists between Epstein-Barr virus [EBV] infection and Plasmodium falciparum malaria…” While in the developed world, EBV is the cause of infectious mononucleosis, a somewhat debilitating disease, in Sub-Saharan Africa, it is associated with the development of Burkitt lymphoma (BL), an aggressive childhood cancer. Rochford R & Mbulaiteye SM, The Complex Interplay of Malaria and EBV in Burkitt Lymphoma, Cancers (Basel), 2026 Jul 3; 18(13):2146, https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers18132146 is one of two articles in July that addressed the association. It “synthesizes current epidemiological, immunological, and molecular evidence to propose an integrated model for the etiology of endemic BL. [The authors] outline a paradoxical, dual-edged relationship wherein EBV infection during infancy may provide a short-term child survival advantage against severe malaria while simultaneously increasing the long-term oncogenic risk in B-cells infected by EBV.” Likewise, Msami NA, Mechanistic Interactions Between Plasmodium falciparum and Epstein-Barr Virus in Endemic Burkitt Lymphoma Pathogenesis: A Narrative Review (2010-2026), Infect Agent Cancer. 2026 Jul 15, https://doi.org/10.1186/s13027-026-00780-5 reviews the published evidence on how the presence of P. falciparum facilitates the alterations in the immune system that eventually results in Burkitt lymphoma.
Langat AK & al. provide a more or less comprehensive review of malaria in pregnancy (MiP) in their 37-page article, Malaria in Pregnancy Across Sub-Saharan Africa: A Scoping Review of Prevalence, Risk Factors, and Preventive Interventions, Int J Infect Dis. 2026 Jul 23: 108983, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijid.2026.108983. The review maps “the prevalence, risk factors, and preventive interventions for MiP” and concludes that “[s]caling proven interventions is critical, but innovations are required to address persistent gaps. Priorities include evaluating alternative chemoprevention, expanding adolescent-focused antenatal services, and integrating malaria prevention with HIV programs. Further research gaps remain in implementation science for [community-delivered] IPTp, adolescent [antenatal care], and understanding climate-related shifts in malaria transmission and pregnancy outcomes.”
Based on a study of two Kenyan communities that “diverged sharply in malaria transmission from around 2004,” Safari MS & al. evaluated “the long-term immunological consequences of malaria exposure in childhood.” They conclude in A Natural Experiment in Kenya Reveals Durable Immunosuppressive Effects of Early Childhood Malaria: A Longitudinal Cohort Study, Elife. 2026 Jul 14; 14:RP107820, https://doi.org/10.7554/elife.107820 that in “longitudinal analyses, children from [the region with heavy malaria burden] exhibited lower antibody responses to a range of unrelated antigens, including Bordetella pertussis, CMV, rubella, and measles, … [suggesting] that malaria exposure during early childhood is linked with durable suppression of antibody responses to unrelated pathogens and vaccines.”
Quaye D & al. argue that there is significant overlap between placental malaria and pre-eclampsia in Placental Malaria and Preeclampsia: Shared Pathways and Translational Perspectives In Endemic Regions, Malaria J, 2026 Jul 31, https://doi.org/10.1186/s12936-026-06071-z. They base their argument on the overlap in pathophysiology of the two conditions as well as epidemiologic evidence of some association.
“Few longitudinal studies have examined the long-term health impact of changing malaria prevention and treatment strategies in Africa.” Kamau A & al. analyze “35 years of clinical surveillance among paediatric malaria admissions in Kilifi, Kenya” in their paper, Decline to Near-Zero Malaria Hospitalisation over 35 Years on the Kenyan Coast, Malaria J, 2026 Aug 7, https://doi.org/10.1186/s12936-026-06081-x. Community malaria prevalence declined from 35% … in the 1990s to 2% … in 2020–2024. Malaria hospitalisations declined from a peak of 25.5 per 1,000 children per annum … in 1999 to 0.65 … between 2020–2024. The median age of malaria increased from 19 months (IQR: 12, 39) between 1990–1996 to a peak of 48 months … between 2012–2019. Cerebral malaria became proportionally more common than severe anaemia over time. Malaria-specific hospitalised mortality rates declined from 0.43 per 1,000 children [per annum] in the 1990s to 0.03 … during the period 2020–2024.” The authors conclude that “[e]xpanded and sustained coverage of effective long-lasting insecticidal nets, together with improved access to effective treatment, have likely contributed to this epidemiological transition.”
Baruda YS & al. analyzed “the malaria treatment cost faced by households and health systems in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA).” Based on a review of 39 articles on the subject, they report in Household and Health System Cost of Malaria in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Systematic Review, Malaria J, 2026 Aug 3, https://doi.org/10.1186/s12936-026-06060-2, that the “pooled estimated household cost per outpatient malaria episode was $12.55 …, while the pooled inpatient cost per severe malaria episode was $53.71 …. Households in the poorest quintile incurred the highest malaria treatment costs compared with those in the richest quintile. The pooled estimated health system cost per outpatient malaria episode was $19.91 …, while the health system inpatient cost per severe malaria was $64.03 … [They conclude that malaria] imposed a substantial economic burden on health system and households in low-income countries in SSA.”
Multiple articles “reported a significant association between malaria infection and anemia” in children. Mwebesa E & al., Estimating Causal Effects of Malaria Infection on Anaemia Among Children Under Five Years in Uganda: Evidence from a Cross-Sectional Malaria Indicator Survey, Health Sci Rep. 2026 Aug 5; 9(8):e73001, https://doi.org/10.1002/hsr2.73001 reports on data obtained from the Ugandan Malaria Indicator Survey that “prevalence of malaria infection among children under five was 23.6% …, while the prevalence of anaemia (mild, moderate, or severe) was 51.2% ... The effect of exposure to malaria infection on anaemia was positive and significant [Average Treatment Effect of the Treated (ATT) = 25.6%,]. These results indicate that malaria infection increases the likelihood of anaemia by 25.5 percentage points among infected children under five in Uganda, after adjusting for key confounders.”
Omala B & al. “evaluated associations between malaria test positivity rates and vector densities, human biting rates, and entomological inoculation rates (EIR) in a high-transmission setting,” Association Between Entomological Indices and Malaria Test Positivity Rates in Western Kenya: Implications for Surveillance, Malaria J, 2026 Aug 8, https://doi.org/10.1186/s12936-026-06073-x. “During this period 1950 female anopheline mosquitoes, predominantly An. gambiae s.l (89.0%) and An. funestus (11.0%) were collected. Malaria test positivity rates varied significantly across villages (range: 23.6%-68.7%). Multilevel analysis revealed significant associations between malaria test positivity and both anopheline mean density … and [human biting rate]. However, an association between [EIR] and malaria test positivity was not observed.”
According to Morlighem C & al., “[m]alaria distribution in sub-Saharan Africa is becoming increasingly spatially heterogeneous. Pre-elimination areas, high-transmission settings and urban areas with increasing transmission may all coexist within the same country. Effective intervention planning requires identifying high-risk areas and their drivers-an area in which geospatial models can provide valuable insights.” In their paper, Where and Why Malaria Persists in Heterogeneous Transmission Settings: Insights from Routine Health Facility Data, BMJ Glob Health. 2026 Aug 7; 11(8):e023003, https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjgh-2025-023003, the authors state that “[e]stimated malaria incidence increased from 60 cases per 1000 people in 2017 to 71 cases in 2021. Key risk factors varied across endemicity-urbanisation levels; some factors were uniquely associated with low (eg, distance to roads), moderate (eg, cropland) and high-transmission settings (eg, flooded vegetation). Fine-scale maps represent malaria cases that the public-sector health system … reports, rather than the total malaria burden, and revealed potential underdiagnosis in remote areas. … [These] findings emphasise the importance of considering endemicity levels when evaluating malaria risk factors in heterogeneous transmission contexts. As health system data quality continues to improve, this approach offers [an] alternative for mapping reported malaria incidence, supporting better targeted interventions …”
Nkfusai CN & al. sought to identify “barriers hindering the functionality and responsiveness of the malaria surveillance and data use system” in Cameroon by conducting individual and focus group discussions with 167 professional and administrative workers from various parts of the country. Their paper, Barriers to the Functionality and Responsiveness of the Malaria Surveillance and Data Use System in Cameroon: A Qualitative Cross-Sectional Study, Malaria J, 2026 Aug 10, https://doi.org/10.1186/s12936-026-06091-9 identifies “doctors' reluctance to document test results and treatments and their neglect of data collection; language and geographical constraints; the absence of a well-trained, dedicated data manager at the health facility level; a loss of community trust in healthcare professionals linked to the COVID-19 pandemic …; late delivery of near-expiration commodities; a lack of standardized guidelines for community health workers; and multiple technical faults on the District Health Information System 2 (DHIS2) mobile version” as significant. The authors identify “five priority areas for strengthening Cameroon's malaria surveillance system: (1) targeted workforce training and data-culture change among clinicians, (2) deployment of dedicated, trained data managers, (3) investment in digital health infrastructure (notably DHIS2 mobile performance), (4) development of standardized protocols for CHWs, and (5) community engagement to rebuild trust eroded during the pandemic.”
“Individuals naturally infected with Plasmodium can develop antibodies against the parasite’s sexual stages that may inhibit onward transmission when [they are ingested] during a mosquito vector’s blood meal.” Blanken SL & al., The Transmission-Blocking Dynamics of Plasmodium falciparum Sexual-Stage Antibody Responses in a Six-Year Cohort of Ugandan Children and Adults, Nature Comm, 2026 Aug 13, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-76191-2 is an extensive analysis that “shows that naturally acquired sexual-stage immune responses are dynamic and can inhibit onward parasite transmission.”
Assefa A & al. studied molecular and genetic analyses of 2204 patients from various regions of Ethiopia. Their findings, published in Resurgence of Malaria in Ethiopia, J Am Med Assn, 2026 Aug 20, https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2026.14688, “suggest increasing prevalence and uneven geographic spread of molecular markers associated with ArtR, decreased susceptibility to other drugs included in artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs), and escape from histidine-rich protein 2–based RDTs. While results support Ethiopia’s 2022 decision to use alternative RDTs that do not detect [HRP2], they raise concern about the durability of current treatment strategies.”
Please see Mensah BT & al., Submicroscopic Malaria Parasite Carriage and Hemoglobin Levels Among Outpatients Attending the Laboratories of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Malaria J, 2026 Aug 7, https://odi.org/10.1186/s12936-026-06026-4 above, under Diagnosis/General diagnostics.
Spatiotemporal studies
Nji AM & al., Bayesian Modelling of Spatio-Temporal Dynamics for Early-Warning and Control of Severe Malaria in Cameroon, Parasite Epidemiol Control. 2026 Jul 13; 34:e00525, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.parepi.2026.e00525
Alohoutade SV & al., Understanding Malaria Dynamics in Benin Through Time Series, and Environmental Correlation: Implications for Targeted Interventions, PLOS Glob Public Health. 2026 Aug 6;6(8):e0006960, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgph.0006960
Nkusi & al., Situational Analysis of Malaria in Children Aged 0–5 Years and Pregnant Women in the Tiko Health District, Cameroon, Since the Inception of the Roll Back Malaria (RBM) Strategy, 2011–2018, Malaria J, 21026 Aug 7, https://doi.org/10.1186/s12936-026-06098-2