Modelling the Public Health Impact of Second Generation Malaria Vaccines
Lead Research Organisation:
Imperial College London
Department Name: School of Public Health
Abstract
Malaria is a mosquito-borne parasitic disease that infects humans through the bite of an anopheline mosquito vector. The species responsible for the more severe and life-threatening form of malaria: Plasmodium falciparum still impacts a substantial public health burden on communities worldwide, with 212 million cases and 429,000 deaths estimated in 2015(1). Sub-Saharan Africa disproportionately bears the greatest burden of malaria: in 2015, the region was home to 90% of malaria cases and 92% of malaria deaths, the majority of which occurred in children under the age of five years(1).
The control and ultimately the elimination of malaria in Africa is a public health priority. While significant gains have been made in terms of disease reduction(2), there is still a long way to go to reach the global goal of eradication(3). Parasite drug resistance to artemisinin combination therapies and mosquito insecticide resistance threaten the sustainability of current control measures that have been at the forefront of the fight against malaria(4-7) and as such the development of a protective vaccine has been identified as a key component of sustainable malaria control and elimination programmes(8).
Specific Objectives:
1. Develop models to examine the dose-response relationship between immunological markers and protection from infection in malaria vaccinated populations
2. Understand the impact of the delayed and fractional dosing schedules of RTS,S on this dose-response relationship and corresponding population impact
3. Extend these dose-response models relating anti-CSP antibody avidity to vaccine efficacy using challenge data and phase 2 field trial data when available
4. Integrate dose-response and vaccine efficacy models into a malaria transmission model to understand the potential public health impact of second-generation malaria vaccines on malaria morbidity and mortality and its potential contribution to control and elimination programmes
The control and ultimately the elimination of malaria in Africa is a public health priority. While significant gains have been made in terms of disease reduction(2), there is still a long way to go to reach the global goal of eradication(3). Parasite drug resistance to artemisinin combination therapies and mosquito insecticide resistance threaten the sustainability of current control measures that have been at the forefront of the fight against malaria(4-7) and as such the development of a protective vaccine has been identified as a key component of sustainable malaria control and elimination programmes(8).
Specific Objectives:
1. Develop models to examine the dose-response relationship between immunological markers and protection from infection in malaria vaccinated populations
2. Understand the impact of the delayed and fractional dosing schedules of RTS,S on this dose-response relationship and corresponding population impact
3. Extend these dose-response models relating anti-CSP antibody avidity to vaccine efficacy using challenge data and phase 2 field trial data when available
4. Integrate dose-response and vaccine efficacy models into a malaria transmission model to understand the potential public health impact of second-generation malaria vaccines on malaria morbidity and mortality and its potential contribution to control and elimination programmes
Organisations
People |
ORCID iD |
| Majid Ezzati (Primary Supervisor) |
Studentship Projects
| Project Reference | Relationship | Related To | Start | End | Student Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MR/R502352/1 | 01/10/2017 | 30/09/2021 | |||
| 1978341 | Studentship | MR/R502352/1 | 01/10/2017 | 31/01/2022 |
| Description | Imperial Lates - Infectious |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Led the activity "Pandemic Potential" a game to help audience members understand key epidemiological parameters and research questions in infectious disease research. This sparked interesting debate and discussion from participants - many school aged children. Feedback was very positive and teachers requested the resources to be able to replicate the game for their classes. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | Interview for BBC Radio 4 More or Less |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | Was interviewed for Radio 4 following the publication of our Report to discuss the current limited evidence on understanding the locations that appear higher risk for SARS-CoV-2 transmission. This was intended to help combat recent statements in the media surrounding supermarkets being high risk for transmission for which we currently do not have any data for. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| URL | https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000rln5 |