Training in Malaria Research in Myanmar

Malaria in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) of Southeast Asia remains an important public health problem. Motivated by recent achievements in the reduction of malaria-related morbidity and mortality, six GMS countries have endorsed a regional malaria elimination plan with the ultimate goal to wholly eliminate malaria by 2030. However, this ambitious plan encounters a battery of challenges that must be addressed urgently. In the GMS, malaria shows tremendous heterogeneity in disease distribution, with Myanmar accounting for nearly half of the region confirmed malaria cases. The recent emergence of artemisinin resistance in Plasmodium falciparum and deteriorating efficacy of the frontline treatment for Plasmodium vivax are major concerns for malaria elimination. Furthermore, the emergence of insecticide resistance in major malaria vectors compromises the effectiveness of the core vector control measures such as insecticide-treated bed nets and indoor residual spraying. Despite the need for strengthened research to address these problems, there is a critical shortage in a well-trained workforce in malaria research in Myanmar. 

The overall training paradigm designed in this application will ensure that all trainees obtain the required set of technical skills and intellectual expertise to conduct independent research on malaria. In addition, this training program will serve as an important platform for the transfer of enabling technologies to endemic-area scientists. By advancing the careers of these trainees, this program aims to build a critical mass of investigators and a necessary intellectual network in Myanmar to focus on malaria research.

Project information

Health Workforce

Mar 2021 — Feb 2027

$248,000

Myanmar