Operational Research on Malaria Control and Elimination

Abstract and Introduction

Abstract

A literature review for operational research on malaria control and elimination was conducted using the term 'malaria' and the definition of operational research (OR). A total of 15 886 articles related to malaria were searched between January 2008 and June 2013. Of these, 582 (3.7%) met the definition of operational research. These OR projects had been carried out in 83 different countries. Most OR studies (77%) were implemented in Africa south of the Sahara. Only 5 (1%) of the OR studies were implemented in countries in the pre-elimination or elimination phase. The vast majority of OR projects (92%) were led by international or local research institutions, while projects led by National Malaria Control Programmes (NMCP) accounted for 7.8%. With regards to the topic under investigation, the largest percentage of papers was related to vector control (25%), followed by epidemiology/transmission (16.5%) and treatment (16.3%). Only 19 (3.8%) of the OR projects were related to malaria surveillance. Strengthening the capacity of NMCPs to conduct operational research and publish its findings, and improving linkages between NMCPs and research institutes may aid progress towards malaria elimination and eventual eradication world-wide.

Table 1. Top 12 countries where OR projects were most frequently implemented, 2008–2013
No.	Country	projects	Percentage
1	Tanzania	79	15.3%
2	Kenya	51	9.9%
3	Nigeria	44	8.5%
4	Uganda	35	6.8%
5	Ethiopia	33	6.4%
6	Ghana	19	3.7%
7	Zambia	17	3.3%
8	Benin	12	2.3%
9	Burkina Faso	12	2.3%
10	Cameroon	9	1.7%
11	India	9	1.7%
12	Solomon Islands	9	1.7%

Table 2. Thematic areas and specific topics
Programmatic themes	Number	Percent	Research topics	Number	Percent
Diagnosis	47	9.1%	RDT	25	4.9%
Parasitologically-confirmed diagnosis	9	1.7%
Diagnostics comparison	10	1.9%
Perception & adherence to guidelines	2	0.4%
QA/EQA	1	0.2%
Treatment	84	16.3%	G6PD	3	0.6%
Anti-relapse and Primaquine	6	1.2%
Accessibility to treatment	10	1.9%
Adherence to treatment	15	2.9%
Home management	18	3.5%
Efficacy and resistance to antimalarial	5	1.0%
Treatment perception & behaviour	27	5.2%
Prevention	52	10.1%	Community perception & practice	14	2.7%
Prevention & IPTp	27	5.2%
Prevention & IPTi	5	1.0%
Prevention & IPTc	5	1.0%
Chemoprophylaxis	1	0.2%
Vector control	129	25.0%	Perception & acceptability of IRS	5	1.0%
Perception & acceptability of bednets	32	6.2%
Environment management	5	1.0%
Mosquito sampling methods	5	1.0%
ITN vs IRS and combination	5	1.0%
Ownership & utilization of bednets	40	7.8%
Bionomics of vector & efficacy of insecticide	21	4.1%
Larvae & larviciding	4	0.8%
Impact of anti-vector intervention	5	1.0%
Outdoor-biting	4	0.8%
Sustain or phase out of vector intervention	1	0.2%
IVM	1	0.2%
Geographical Reconnaissance (GR)	1	0.2%
Epidemiology & transmission	85	16.5%	Infection reservoir-asymptomatic, submicroscopic, gametocyte carriers	15	2.9%
Risk factor & Prevalence	22	4.3%
Hotspot & foci	7	1.4%
Importation	13	2.5%
Elimination strategy	2	0.4%
Reintroduction	4	0.8%
Risk & distribution mapping/model	22	4.3%
Surveillance	19	3.8%	Reporting & quality of data	6	1.2%
Mobile phone-based case detection	3	0.6%
ACD vs PCD	8	1.6%
Surveillance as intervention	1	0.2%
Early warning & response	1	0.2%
Health system	73	14.2%	Health worker's perception & practice	27	5.2%
Availability & use of service	7	1.4%
Health facility performance	19	3.7%
Provision of service by private sectors	6	1.2%
Perception & adherence to guidelines of private sectors	5	1.0%
Subsidy policy to private sectors	8	1.6%
Malaria reporting by private sectors	1	0.2%
Cost-effectiveness	26	5.0%		26	5.0%
Total	515	100.0%		515	100.0%

Table 2. Thematic areas and specific topics

Programmatic themes

Number

Percent

Research topics

Number

Percent

Diagnosis

9.1%

RDT

4.9%

Parasitologically-confirmed diagnosis

1.7%

Diagnostics comparison

1.9%

Perception & adherence to guidelines

0.4%

QA/EQA

0.2%

Treatment

16.3%

G6PD

0.6%

Anti-relapse and Primaquine

1.2%

Accessibility to treatment

1.9%

Adherence to treatment

2.9%

Home management

3.5%

Efficacy and resistance to antimalarial

1.0%

Treatment perception & behaviour

5.2%

Prevention

10.1%

Community perception & practice

2.7%

Prevention & IPTp

5.2%

Prevention & IPTi

1.0%

Prevention & IPTc

1.0%

Chemoprophylaxis

0.2%

Vector control

129

25.0%

Perception & acceptability of IRS

1.0%

Perception & acceptability of bednets

6.2%

Environment management

1.0%

Mosquito sampling methods

1.0%

ITN vs IRS and combination

1.0%

Ownership & utilization of bednets

7.8%

Bionomics of vector & efficacy of insecticide

4.1%

Larvae & larviciding

0.8%

Impact of anti-vector intervention

1.0%

Outdoor-biting

0.8%

Sustain or phase out of vector intervention

0.2%

IVM

0.2%

Geographical Reconnaissance (GR)

0.2%

Epidemiology & transmission

16.5%

Infection reservoir-asymptomatic, submicroscopic, gametocyte carriers

2.9%

Risk factor & Prevalence

4.3%

Hotspot & foci

1.4%

Importation

2.5%

Elimination strategy

0.4%

Reintroduction

0.8%

Risk & distribution mapping/model

4.3%

Surveillance

3.8%

Reporting & quality of data

1.2%

Mobile phone-based case detection

0.6%

ACD vs PCD

1.6%

Surveillance as intervention

0.2%

Early warning & response

0.2%

Health system

14.2%

Health worker's perception & practice

5.2%

Availability & use of service

1.4%

Health facility performance

3.7%

Provision of service by private sectors

1.2%

Perception & adherence to guidelines of private sectors

1.0%

Subsidy policy to private sectors

1.6%

Malaria reporting by private sectors

0.2%

Cost-effectiveness

5.0%

Total

515

100.0%

515

100.0%

Operational Research on Malaria Control and Elimination

A Review of Projects Published Between 2008 and 2013

Abstract and Introduction

Abstract

Tables

Tables

References

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Authors and Disclosures

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