Maximizing Impact: Can Interventions to Prevent Clinical Malaria Reduce Parasite Transmission?

Trends Parasitol. 2020 Nov;36(11):906-913. doi: 10.1016/j.pt.2020.07.013. Epub 2020 Sep 9.

Abstract

Malaria interventions may reduce the burden of clinical malaria disease, the transmission of malaria parasites, or both. As malaria interventions are developed and evaluated, including those interventions primarily targeted at reducing disease, they may also impact parasite transmission. Achieving global malaria eradication will require optimizing the transmission-reducing potential of all available interventions. Herein, we discuss the relationship between malaria parasite transmission and disease, including mechanisms by which disease-targeting interventions might also impact parasite transmission. We then focus on three malaria interventions with strong evidence for reducing the burden of clinical malaria disease and examine their potential for also reducing malaria parasite transmission.

Keywords: Plasmodium falciparum; RTS,S/AS01 vaccine; school-based preventive treatment; seasonal malaria chemoprevention.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antimalarials / therapeutic use
  • Chemoprevention / standards
  • Disease Eradication*
  • Humans
  • Malaria / drug therapy
  • Malaria / immunology
  • Malaria / prevention & control*
  • Malaria / transmission*
  • Malaria Vaccines / immunology
  • Malaria Vaccines / standards
  • Plasmodium / physiology

Substances

  • Antimalarials
  • Malaria Vaccines