Abu Dhabi: The Global Institute for Disease Elimination (GLIDE), under the supervision of Erth Zayed Philanthropies, has announced a regional initiative aimed at eradicating malaria and preventing its resurgence in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.
According to Emirates News Agency, the project is managed by the entomology and vector control unit at the World Health Organisation (WHO) Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean. It is being executed in collaboration with the University of Oxford, the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), and the WHO Global Malaria Programme (GMP). GLIDE is fully funding this initiative.
Dr. Farida Al Hosani, Deputy CEO of GLIDE, informed that the project currently encompasses 18 countries and aims to establish a regional electronic database detailing factors contributing to malaria transmission over the past century. The database will include maps, environmental data, and statistics related to mosquito breeding sites, focusing on the historical and environmental spread of Anopheles mosquitoes, the primary malaria vector.
Dr. Al Hosani emphasized that the platform is intended to enhance data sharing, facilitate risk mapping, and bolster regional capabilities to prevent malaria resurgence. It will support evidence-based interventions and strategic capacity-building to help countries maintain their malaria-free status.
The initiative also aims to optimize resource allocation, tailor interventions to national needs in the MENA region, and strengthen policy and strategy frameworks to combat potential malaria reintroduction. The data system will incorporate historical and contemporary entomological surveillance, climatic and environmental variables, and vector mapping to identify high-risk areas.
Dr. Al Hosani confirmed that the database is projected to be completed by July 2025, covering countries in both the EMRO and AFRO WHO regions. Although most participating countries are currently malaria-free, the risk of re-emergence persists due to human mobility and the ongoing presence of Anopheles mosquitoes.
She also mentioned future plans to expand the platform to include other vector-borne diseases as part of an integrated health surveillance approach.