Shrinking the Malaria Map: Recent Developments from the Malaria Elimination Group

8 May 2009

Geoffrey Targett, Brian Greenwood, Jo Lines and the ACT Consortium's Shunmay Yeung from LSHTM are part of an international, multidisciplinary malaria elimination group (MEG) set up in 2008 by the Global Health Group of the University of California (under the direction of Sir Richard Feachem, former Dean of LSHTM). Its purpose is to provide informed discussion on the major questions of whether, when and how to eliminate malaria. The first products of these discussions are two important publications were released by MEG on Malaria Day, 2009.

Geoffrey Targett co-edited A Prospectus on Malaria Elimination that serves to guide countries contemplating or embarking on malaria elimination. It is intended for those who provide technical advice to governments, donors, NGOs and potential investors. It is not prescriptive but offers informed discussion on the major operational and financial questions behind making the decision to eliminate, how to get malaria transmission to zero, the challenges around keeping it there, and the essential technical needs throughout the programme.  An accompanying document, prepared by Sir Richard Feachem and MEG, is a guide for policy makers.

 

The Prospectus is available in hard copy and on the Web (www.malariaeliminationgroup.org) and is just the first stage of a larger agenda. It will be updated and supplemented, in particular with case studies and other practical data that will help to advance the progress of elimination.