Lead Institution: University of South Florida
Research Areas
Cameroon, one of the top 11 malaria high-burden countries, has experienced a steady increase in the disease incidence since 2012. Renowned as "Africa in miniature" due to its diverse ecology, malaria transmission is highly heterogeneous across its five distinct eco-climatic zones (Sahelian, Sudanian savanna, Sahelo-Guinea, western highlands, and equatorial forest zones) that differ with regard to malaria endemicity. Malaria control measures, including long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs), intermittent presumptive treatment of pregnant women (IPTp), seasonal or perennial malaria chemoprevention (SMC/PMC) of children, and case management with artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs), are implemented differentially in these eco-zones, but their effectiveness has not been thoroughly evaluated. Malaria control is challenged by the lack of adequate understanding of factors sustaining the high-level transmission and the emergence and spread of insecticide-resistant vectors and multidrug-resistant malaria parasites.
Therefore, the central goal of this program is to improve the understanding of how the evolving parasite and vector populations evade contemporary malaria control measures to sustain high-level malaria transmission in divergent ecological zones in Cameroon so that innovative integrated strategies can be developed to control and ultimately eliminate malaria.
- Epidemiology Project: This project will perform longitudinal cohort studies and entomological assessments to elucidate the critical transmission reservoirs, evaluate the impacts of different interventions on the reservoirs, vectors, and the spatiotemporal evolution of parasite populations, and identify key factors responsible for persistent malaria transmission.
- Resistance Project: This project will conduct extensive surveillance of resistance in vectors and parasites in multiple sites, elucidate resistance mechanisms, and determine how the complex interactions between drug and insecticide resistance shape the local malaria transmission patterns.
The program will be carried out in three study sites each in different zone, Sahelo-Guinea (Banyo), Highland (Dschang) and Equatorial forest (Mbalmayo), and up to 20 sentinel sites, which are distributed in different eco-zones with drastically different malaria epidemiology. By dissecting the complex interactions between the human host, diverse mosquito vectors, and drug-resistant parasites, the program will unravel the mechanisms underlying the high-level malaria transmission and provide the critical evidence needed to optimize strategies to effectively control malaria.
Regional Impact
This ICEMR is located in one of the high-burden countries with complex malaria transmission patterns. Investigators aim to identify factors responsible for the continuous high-level transmission of malaria, build research capacity, and develop and optimize interventions for malaria control. Working with the National Malaria Control Program, research findings could be integrated into the malaria control strategies to generate rapid impacts.
Study Sites
View Associated sites for the Central Africa ICEMR in Cameroon in a larger map
Collaborating Institutions
- University of South Florida, Tampa FL, USA
- Fobang Institute of Science of Innovations in Science and Technology, Yaounde, Cameroon
- University of Yaounde, Yaounde, Cameroon
Staff
Co-Principal Investigators: Liwang Cui, Ph.D., Wilfred Mbacham, Ph.D.
Project Leads
- Rose Leke, University of Yaounde
- Gillian Stresman, University of South Florida
- Liwang Cui, University of South Florida
- Wilfred Mbacham, Fobang Institute of Science of Innovations in Science and Technology