Malaria transmission intensity and mortality burden across Africa (MTIMBA).

Sponsor: Multilateral Initiative in Malaria
IHRDC investigators: S Abdulla, O Mukasa, S Charles, H Masanja, & R Nathan
Partners: R Thomson; Manhica Research Centre, Mozambique & INDEPTH Network

The relationship between malaria interventions and short or long term impact on mortality remains poorly understood despite it's critical importance to our ability to plan, implement and evaluate malaria control programmes. The MTIMBA project aims to establish a continental platform for assessment and analysis of the impact of malaria control at community level.

The MTIMBA project relies on the existence of a network of sites with demographic surveillance system (DSS) across Africa. Thus it has been possible to form a large-scale multi-country, multi-centre platform for evaluation of interventions and also allow longitudinal monitoring of changes in malaria transmission and resultant mortality burden in a number of very different populations across Africa. The entomological surveillance of malaria transmission intensity covers over 700,000 people living in about 10,000 sq Km and collects hundreds of thousands of mosquitoes each year for three years. When completed in late 2004, this will be the largest entomological assessment done using standardized tools and procedures. The work is also unique as it has entomological parameters linked to time, place and vital events occurring in specific malaria endemic populations which are rigorously monitored through DSS. Concurrent with the scientific aims, capacity strengthening for malaria research and control in Africa is a top priority of MTIMBA so that enhanced research and implementation skills in malaria control malaria control in the future. Lastly, more accurate information gathering will be facilitated by the standardized malaria mortality and transmission monitoring tools developed by the project.