Reimagining OpenMalaria and Supporting Novel Tools

In this project, we will support malaria control and elimination through two linked research programs. These programs rely on developing and using OpenMalaria: our in-house, open-source, advanced malaria simulation tool.  
 
The first research program will modernise OpenMalaria so it can better capture how malaria spreads, estimate the resulting disease burden, and help plan interventions to move countries towards elimination. A central task is updating OpenMalaria with contemporary data on how disease burden varies by age; a pattern that has shifted considerably given the rollout of malaria prevention over the last 20 year. This work program also draws on research to deepen our understanding of malaria dynamics: disease pathogenesis, age-dependent immunity, interaction with other health conditions, and severe disease. What we learn then feeds back into the software. 
 
The second research program will support the development and testing of new multi-stage malaria treatments: drugs, vaccines, and long-acting injectables. Using OpenMalaria, we will work with Gates Foundation partners to model how these treatments can reduce malaria cases and deaths, with the ultimate aim of elimination. 
 
Together, these two research programs aim to improve decision-making and accelerate progress towards malaria elimination, now and in the future. 
 
Grant code: INV-067467 with the Gates Foundation.