PAMAfrica PhD student poster presentations at the 12th EDCTP Forum
Catch the next generation of African malaria research in action. We’re happy to announce that three PAMAfrica PhD students – Victor Asua, Francis Bohissou and Nouhoun Barry – will be stepping into the spotlight at the 12th EDCTP Forum to share their research during the poster presentation sessions. Whether you're a fellow researcher, clinician, policymaker or student, join them from 16–18 June in the foyer of the Kigali Convention Centre (from 12:30 to 14:00) to discuss their work and see how it’s contributing to the malaria elimination agenda. Browse the poster titles and overviews below.
Evolution of Plasmodium falciparum antimalarial drug resistance to antifolates in Uganda
Antimalarial drug resistance threatens global malaria control and containment efforts. P. falciparum genetic mutations mediate resistance to antimalarial drugs, including the antifolate inhibitor, sulfadoxine pyrimethamine. We evaluated spatio-temporal evolutionary dynamics of antifolate resistance.
Samples collected from patients presenting with uncomplicated malaria at 16 health facilities across Uganda from 2016-2022 were sequenced using molecular inversion probes targeting resistance associated genes and flanking regions.
Spatio-temporal trend of ACT efficacy over ten years from 2010 to 2024 in sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) has improved malaria control in sub-Saharan Africa, but the number of global cases has stagnated or risen slightly since 2015. However, resistance reported from South-East Asia threatens ACT efficacy. While no phenotypic artemisinin partial resistance is reported in Africa, the rising incidence of pfkelch13 mutations in some regions is concerning, as some studies suggest declining ACT efficacy in Africa. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis on ACT efficacy trends in sub-Saharan Africa from 2010 to 2024.
Evolution of Malaria Antigen-specific immune responses and Antibody-Dependent Respiratory Burst activity in longitudinal Controlled Human Malaria Infection model
Malaria remains a significant global health burden, particularly in endemic regions such as Gabon. Understanding the immune response to Plasmodium falciparum infections is crucial for understanding the disease and vaccine development. This study evaluates the immune response profile to 13 P. falciparum antigens covering pre-erythrocytic stage as well as blood stage and explores the correlation between immune response magnitude and Antibody-Dependent Respiratory Burst (ADRB) activity using freshly isolated neutrophils in a Controlled Human Malaria Infection (CHMI) study.