London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine

Several areas in West Africa are nearing malaria elimination, either at a national or regional level. The WADE (West African network for Decision-making for malaria Elimination) is a Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) network set up to exchange expertise and skills within the region and to foster future collaborations to facilitate the road to malaria elimination. The network consists of researchers and Ministry staff from Cape Verde, Senegal, Gambia, São Tomé and Príncipe, Guinea-Bissau and the UK.   

This webinar will present a series of short talks detailing examples of use of spatial data in areas nearing malaria elimination, including Cape Verde, Indonesia and Senegal. We will hear from a range of researchers and Ministry staff. 

Presentations will be followed by an interactive discussion with the panellists and audience, to discuss the work presented, alongside thinking of future potential opportunities for WADE partners to work towards malaria elimination. 

Speakers and talk titles  

Dr Henry Surendra, Eijkman-Oxford Clinical Research Unit  

Talk title

Using health facility-based serological surveillance to predict receptive areas at risk of malaria outbreaks in elimination areas  

Bio

Henry is epidemiologist working on malaria, COVID-19, and other tropical diseases research in Indonesia. He obtained his PhD in Malaria Epidemiology from LSHTM. He started his research career in 2013, working on field evaluation of diagnosis strategy and techniques for several tropical diseases (TB and neglected tropical diseases) in collaboration with the Institute of Tropical Medicine, Belgium. He is a fellow of Royal Society for Public Health, Honorary Fellow of the Menzies School of Health Research and member of Indonesia Academy of Young Scientist. Henry is currently serving as Epidemiologist for COVID-19 under UNDP-COVID-19 National Task Force Indonesia. 

Dr Gillian Stresman, Assistant Professor in Malaria Epidemiology, LSHTM   

Talk title

Spatio-temporal transmission dynamics of a contained Plasmodium falciparum outbreak in Praia, Cabo Verde  

Bio

Gillian has worked on malaria epidemiology research for more than 10 years and has spent time in multiple malaria-endemic countries including Zambia, Kenya, Philippines and Haiti. Her focus is on understanding the epidemiological and spatial determinants of malaria transmission with the ultimate goal of accelerating transmission reduction and achieving elimination. This includes studies ranging from understanding bias in routine surveillance due to asymptomatic infections, identifying residual parasite populations to target interventions, understanding the role of spatial transmission dynamics at various spatial-scales, and identify tools and metrics for malaria surveillance that are operationally feasible for implementation in endemic settings. Additional research focuses on malaria elimination in terms of both how to achieve zero as well as how to measure absence of infections.   

Isabel Byrne, Research Assistant, LSHTM   

Talk title

An introduction to spatial analysis for malaria data  

Bio

Isabel has a special interest in vector-borne disease and emerging zoonotic diseases. She is currently based at LSHTM, where she works as a Research Assistant with the Drakeley Group within the Department of Infection Biology. She uses machine-learning methods to define exposures to malaria using serology data in elimination-settings in Southeast Asia. Isabel also uses geostatistical analysis to link remote sensing-derived environmental and spatial risk factors to malaria exposures and malaria vector habitats and use these links to create malaria exposure maps through predictive modelling.  

Dr El hadji Doucoure, Sénégal National Malaria Control Programme (NMCP)  

Talk title

Epidemiological stratification of malaria in Senegal and response to outbreaks with MFDA 

Bio

Malaria elimination and surveillance head officer

 Please note that the recording link will be listed on this page when available