Malaria Control and Outreach for Mobile and Migrant Populations along the Vietnam-Cambodia Border

Objectives

• GIS-based spatial decision support system: To develop and pilot a customised SDSS framework and associated geospatial approaches to support enhanced malaria surveillance in Vietnam
• Re-Active case detection and investigation of Unofficial Border Crossings: To implement high sensitivity and rapid screening at unofficial borders between Vietnam and Cambodia to reduce the cross border transit of malaria
• Enhanced Active Surveillance: To establish a genetic epidemiological surveillance system to guide malaria elimination in Vietnam, in particular targeting multidrug resistant P. falciparum malaria.
• Building filter paper collection and bio-bank storage capacity: To establish local capacity to collect, store and transport filter paper blood spots and other bio-samples collected through MOTs, VHWs and commune health staff.
• Field trial of loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) for detecting low-level parasite density infections: The overall goal of this activity is to evaluate the feasibility of implementing LAMP-based testing in rural Vietnam.
• Enhanced responses with various approaches to Active Case Detection: To develop interventional tools and approaches to actively screen households that have an index malaria case and to implement treatment to eliminate the asymptomatic reservoir of parasites.
• Establish mechanisms for serology-based epidemiological surveillance: To establish a serological surveillance system to identify malaria-exposed individuals to aid the targeting of malaria elimination strategies.