Global Health Group publishes a Cochrane review on Mass Drug Administration for malaria

Mass Drug Administration (MDA) is a strategy that was popular during historical malaria elimination and eradication attempts. It is now being revisited as a key intervention to stop malaria transmission, but there is very little documented evidence on its impact or efficacy. Researchers from the Global Health Group’s Malaria Elimination Initiative in collaboration with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published a new review in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, entitled “Mass Drug Administration (MDA) for Malaria.” The authors reviewed thirty-two studies on MDA for malaria and found that while the use of MDA did reduce malaria risk in the short term, the reductions were often not maintained. Ideal transmission scenarios, distribution strategies, and drug regimens for MDA for malaria elimination remain unknown and further research needs to address these questions.