The South African Medical Research Council’s (SAMRC) Malaria Research Group (MRG) kicks off the 9th Annual Southern Africa Malaria Research Conference today, July 31, 2024, at the Future Africa Campus at the University of Pretoria. The conference, running until August 2, 2024, carries the theme “Malaria Elimination: A Moving Target?”, addressing crucial challenges as southern African countries, including South Africa, strive towards malaria elimination by 2030.
Regional and cross-border malaria continues to pose a significant threat to South Africa’s elimination efforts, despite substantial progress. The conference, starting today, aims to strengthen cross-border collaboration and provide an enabling environment for researchers and scientists to share their latest findings with the wider malaria research community and the public.
Key thematic areas being addressed over the next three days include parasite biology and control, regional and cross-border malaria, surveillance, vector biology and control, innovation for elimination, and advocacy for malaria elimination. Through oral and poster presentations, participants will explore cutting-edge scientific advancements and practical solutions to combat malaria.
Prof Rajendra Maharaj, MRG Director, emphasized the importance of the conference in supporting the SAMRC’s mission: “Facilitating high-quality scientific research on malaria informs the development of policy, health services, health promotion, and capacity development, thereby improving the health status and quality of life of people living in malaria-endemic areas.”
A highlight of today’s opening session will be the keynote address by Robert Brozin, co-founder of Nandos and Goodbye Malaria, titled “Winging it: The Power of Public-Private Partnership in Driving Malaria Elimination.” Other notable plenary sessions scheduled for the conference include:
- Dr. Neville Sweijd (ACCESS) on “Malaria and Climate”
- Dr. Power Tshikae (Department of Health, KwaZulu-Natal) on “The Role of Operational Research and Vector Control: Converging to Eliminate Malaria”
- Dr. Givemore Munhenga (National Institute for Communicable Diseases) on “The Role of SIT in an Elimination Agenda: An Introspection of Progress on the Application of the Technology in South Africa”
The conference has attracted international and local delegates, including participants from prestigious universities such as Stellenbosch, Cape Town, Western Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Zululand, Pretoria, Witwatersrand, Limpopo, North-West, and Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences. Representatives from key organizations and countries including the JC Flowers Foundation (USA), Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Angola, University of Botswana, WHO, Elimination 8, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and the Clinton Health Access Initiative are also in attendance.
Additionally, representatives from national and provincial departments of health, as well as provincial malaria control programme staff from South Africa’s three malaria-endemic provinces – Limpopo, Mpumalanga, and KwaZulu-Natal, are participating in the conference.
As the 9th Southern Africa Malaria Research Conference begins today, it promises to be a landmark event, fostering collaboration and innovation to tackle one of the most pressing public health challenges of our time.
The full programme is accessible here: https://malariaconference.mrc.ac.za/programme.html
