The Malaria Elimination Initiative celebrates World Malaria Day

On World Malaria Day, with partners and collaborators around the globe, the UCSF Global Health Group's Malaria Elimination Initiative (MEI) celebrated worldwide progress in reducing the malaria burden.

In a World Malaria Day feature, PBS Newshour showcased Dr. Hugh Sturrock's ongoing work at MEI and collaboration with Google Earth Engine to develop user-friendly, real time disease risk maps which would enable health workers to better target malaria interventions.

In Sweden, MEI Lead, Dr. Roly Gosling, was a featured speaker at the inauguration of the Centre for Malaria Research at the Karolinska Institute, where he presented on malaria elimination efforts, challenges, and opportunities.

In Zambia, members of the malaria community convened to commemorate World Malaria Day 2015 at an event hosted by Zambia's Ministry of Health. The event, "Building Strong Partnerships to Eliminate Malaria," emphasized the need for cross-border collaboration and interventions as the region moves toward elimination. The Elimination 8 (E8), a regional malaria elimination initiative in Southern Africa, was well-represented by Honorable Sibongile Ndlela-Simelane (E8 Chair and Minister of Health, Swaziland), Honorable Joseph Kasonde (Minister of Health, Zambia), Dr. Richard Kamwi (E8 Ambassador and former Minister of Health, Namibia) and Ms. Kudzai Makomva (Director, E8 Secretariat). MEI's Alistair Dawson and other partners including Dr. Alan Magill (Malaria Program Director, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation) and Dr. Pedro Alonso (Director, WHO Global Malaria Program) were also in attendance.

In San Francisco, MEI researchers, Alemayehu Midekisa, Danica Helb, and Brittany Zelman presented at the Bay Area World Malaria Day Symposium hosted by Zagaya at the University of California, Berkeley. Presentations focused on MEI's work on real time risk mapping, determining P. falciparum exposure using novel laboratory methods, and understanding the impact of the Global Fund's New Funding Model on malaria-eliminating countries.