emirates7 - The Global Institute for Disease Elimination (GLIDE), under the guidance of Erth Zayed Philanthropies, has launched a new regional initiative aimed at supporting malaria elimination and preventing its resurgence across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).
This project, centered on national data analysis to assess malaria receptivity and transmission decline in the region, is being carried out in collaboration with the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office’s entomology and vector control unit. Key partners also include the University of Oxford, the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), and WHO’s Global Malaria Programme (GMP), with GLIDE providing full funding.
Speaking to the Emirates News Agency (WAM), Dr. Farida Al Hosani, Deputy CEO of GLIDE, explained that the initiative currently spans 18 countries. It aims to establish a regional digital database tracking factors influencing malaria transmission over the past century.
This comprehensive platform will include detailed maps, environmental indicators, and data on mosquito breeding grounds—especially focusing on the spread and habitats of Anopheles mosquitoes, the primary vector for malaria.
According to Dr. Al Hosani, the system will enhance regional capabilities in data sharing and risk assessment, helping to prevent malaria re-emergence. It will also support evidence-based decision-making, boost strategic capacity development, and help nations maintain their malaria-free status.
The platform is expected to play a key role in optimizing resource allocation, customizing intervention strategies to fit national contexts, and strengthening health policies and strategic responses to potential malaria reintroduction.
The database will draw on a wide range of data sources, including historical and current entomological surveillance, environmental and climatic data such as rainfall, temperature, and land use, and vector distribution mapping to pinpoint high-risk zones.
Dr. Al Hosani noted that the platform is scheduled for completion by July 2025 and will cover countries in both the EMRO and AFRO WHO regions. Although many of these countries are currently free of malaria, the threat of reintroduction persists due to human movement and the ongoing presence of Anopheles mosquitoes.
She also shared that there are plans to eventually expand the platform to include other vector-borne diseases, aligning with a broader integrated health surveillance strategy.
This project, centered on national data analysis to assess malaria receptivity and transmission decline in the region, is being carried out in collaboration with the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office’s entomology and vector control unit. Key partners also include the University of Oxford, the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), and WHO’s Global Malaria Programme (GMP), with GLIDE providing full funding.
Speaking to the Emirates News Agency (WAM), Dr. Farida Al Hosani, Deputy CEO of GLIDE, explained that the initiative currently spans 18 countries. It aims to establish a regional digital database tracking factors influencing malaria transmission over the past century.
This comprehensive platform will include detailed maps, environmental indicators, and data on mosquito breeding grounds—especially focusing on the spread and habitats of Anopheles mosquitoes, the primary vector for malaria.
According to Dr. Al Hosani, the system will enhance regional capabilities in data sharing and risk assessment, helping to prevent malaria re-emergence. It will also support evidence-based decision-making, boost strategic capacity development, and help nations maintain their malaria-free status.
The platform is expected to play a key role in optimizing resource allocation, customizing intervention strategies to fit national contexts, and strengthening health policies and strategic responses to potential malaria reintroduction.
The database will draw on a wide range of data sources, including historical and current entomological surveillance, environmental and climatic data such as rainfall, temperature, and land use, and vector distribution mapping to pinpoint high-risk zones.
Dr. Al Hosani noted that the platform is scheduled for completion by July 2025 and will cover countries in both the EMRO and AFRO WHO regions. Although many of these countries are currently free of malaria, the threat of reintroduction persists due to human movement and the ongoing presence of Anopheles mosquitoes.
She also shared that there are plans to eventually expand the platform to include other vector-borne diseases, aligning with a broader integrated health surveillance strategy.