- Surveillance of diarrhoeal disease in Malawi since 1996
- Published first detailed estimates of contribution of rotavirus to diarrhoea in children (including HIV positive)
- First rotavirus trial (2010) led to WHO recommendation for use
- Malawi surveillance data supported case to GAVI for financial support
- Post-introduction surveillance demon-strated real world effectiveness of vaccine, cost-effectiveness and efficacy of accelerated schedules
- Recent work demonstrating reduction in diarrhoeal deaths
- Current work looking at failures, house-hold transmission and planned new vaccine trials
Malawi’s success in achieving MDG targets for reduction is child mortality can be partly attributed to a 37% reduction in malaria mortality. MLW researcher have contributed substantial to the evidence base on malaria case management, including the switch to ACT’s for uncomplicated malaria and parenteral artesunate for severe malaria and epidemiological work has strongly informed and influenced malaria control and national policy in Malawi. We have now developed novel surveil-lance methodologies for affordable fine-scale mapping to demonstrate heterogeneity in transmission – an understanding of this is critical for improving control.
Work on PKPD dose-optimization of antimalarials in vulnerable subgroups has been influen-tial in changing WHO treatment guidelines for DHA-PPQ, the main candidate drug for mass drug administration in southern and eastern Africa. Results of a major trial examining anti-malarial and antiretroviral interactions are currently being analysed.