Research Data from University of Cape Town Update Understanding of Malaria (Malaria elimination transmission and costing in the Asia-Pacific: Developing an investment case)

2020 FEB 13 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Daily News -- Investigators publish new report on Mosquito-Borne Diseases - Malaria. According to news originating from Cape Town, South Africa, by NewsRx correspondents, research stated, “The Asia-Pacific region has made significant progress against malaria, reducing cases and deaths by over 50% between 2010 and 2015. These gains have been facilitated in part, by strong political and financial commitment of governments and donors.”

Financial supporters for this research include Asian Development Bank, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Australian Government, Wellcome Trust.

Our news journalists obtained a quote from the research from the University of Cape Town, “However, funding gaps and persistent health system challenges threaten further progress. Achieving the regional goal of malaria elimination by 2030 will require an intensification of efforts and a plan for sustainable financing. This article presents an investment case for malaria elimination to facilitate these efforts. A transmission model was developed to project rates of decline of and malaria and the output was used to determine the cost of the interventions that would be needed for elimination by 2030. In total, 80 scenarios were modelled under various assumptions of resistance and intervention coverage. The mortality and morbidity averted were estimated and health benefits were monetized by calculating the averted cost to the health system, individual households, and society. The full-income approach was used to estimate the economic impact of lost productivity due to premature death and illness, and a return on investment was computed. The study estimated that malaria elimination in the region by 2030 could be achieved at a cost of USD 29.02 billion (range: USD 23.65-36.23 billion) between 2017 and 2030. Elimination would save over 400,000 lives and avert 123 million malaria cases, translating to almost USD 90 billion in economic benefits. Discontinuing vector control interventions and reducing treatment coverage rates to 50% will result in an additional 845 million cases, 3.5 million deaths, and excess costs of USD 7 billion. Malaria elimination provides a 6:1 return on investment.”

According to the news editors, the research concluded: “This investment case provides compelling evidence for the benefits of continued prioritization of funding for malaria and can be used to develop an advocacy strategy.”

For more information on this research see: Malaria elimination transmission and costing in the Asia-Pacific: Developing an investment case. Wellcome Open Research, 2019;4():60.

The news correspondents report that additional information may be obtained from S.P. Silal, Modelling and Simulation Hub, Africa, Dept. of Statistical Sciences, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, Cape Town, 7700, South Africa. Additional authors for this research include R. Shretta, O.J. Celhay, C.E. Gran Mercado, S.S. Kyaw, A. Avancena, K. Fox, B. Zelman, R. Baral, L.J. White and R.J Maude.

The direct object identifier (DOI) for that additional information is: https://doi.org/10.12688/wellcomeopenres.14769.1. This DOI is a link to an online electronic document that is either free or for purchase, and can be your direct source for a journal article and its citation.

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