MSMT – Genome-wide analysis of variations in Plasmodium falciparum parasites population and their impact on different malaria interventions in Tanzania

Malaria affects millions of people globally, and the disease remains one of the major public health problems occurring in most parts of the world, causing thousands of deaths each year, especially among vulnerable persons in rural settings with poor health systems. Even though the burden has decreased due to the deployment of different interventions in recent years, all those gains are threatened by biological threats that largely affect the success of different control strategies. The parasite uses different mechanisms that render diagnostic tools and drug treatment inefficient, challenging one of the key control strategies, based on prompt detection and case management. Sequencing technologies, especially Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) have played a major role in understanding parasite genomic variation leading to drug resistance, diagnostic resistance, and population structure.

The study is aiming at identifying the ideal laboratory assay for sufficient DNA yield required for WGS, and optimizing the recommended method for generation of long-reads data. This project is part of a large consortium; the Molecular Surveillance of Malaria in Tanzania (MSMT) Project led by the National Institute of Medical Research (NIMR) in Tanzania. The assay developed will be transferred to NIMR laboratory in Tanzania. Through this study, new variants may be discovered, which could be used in surveillance and monitoring the emergence and spread of drug resistance and hrp2/3 gene deletions.

Swiss TPH Project details

Diagnostics
Drug Resistance
Enabling Technologies & Assays
Genetics and Genomics

Jul 2022 — Jul 2025

$260,000

Switzerland
Tanzania

Molecular surveillance of malaria parasite populations and antimalarial drug resistance to support malaria control and elimination in Tanzania (MSMT1)
Molecular Surveillance of Malaria in Tanzania Phase 2 (MSMT2)

Malaria Molecular Surveillance (MMS)