Partner study description

The overall objective of this study is to understand the determinants of malaria heterogeneity and the spatial and temporal spread of malaria infections. Alfred Amambua Ngwa and Umberto d’Alessandro plan to analyse Plasmodium falciparum specimens from 3 consecutive years in the country to describe infection, complexity and identify parasite genotypes adapting to current interventions and environmental changes in the population. The aim is to integrate high-throughput genomic technologies into detailed field epidemiology and entomology studies to increase our understanding of what drives the heterogeneities in host-parasite-vector interactions and ultimately transmission, providing the basis for the rational application of interventions and the development of evidence-based plans for elimination.