Estimating the potential impact of surveillance test-and-treat posts to reduce malaria in border regions in sub-Saharan Africa: a modelling study

This article has been Reviewed by the following groups

Read the full article See related articles

Listed in

Log in to save this article

Abstract

The last malaria cases in near-elimination settings are often found in international border regions due to the presence of hard-to-reach populations, conflict, uneven intervention coverage, and human migration. Test-and-treat border posts are an under-researched form of active case detection used to interrupt transmission chains between countries. We used an individual-based, mathematical metapopulation model of P. falciparum to estimate the effectiveness of border posts on total cases in malaria-endemic sub-Saharan Africa. We estimated that implementation of international border posts across 401 sub-national administrative units would avert a median of 7,173 (IQR: 1,075 to 23,550) cases per unit over a 10-year period and reduce Pf PR 2-10 by a median of 0.21% (IQR: 0.04% to 0.44%). Border posts were most effective in low-transmission settings with high-transmission neighbors. Border posts alone will not allow a country to reach elimination, particularly when considering feasibility and acceptability, but could contribute to broader control packages to targeted populations.

Article activity feed

  1. David Guararie

    Review 2: "Estimating the Potential Impact of Surveillance Test-and-Treat Posts to Reduce Malaria in Border Regions in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Modelling Study"

    Reviewers highlighted the study's significant contribution to understanding the role of human mobility in malaria control and its detailed simulations across 401 sub-national units

  2. Lin Zhu

    Review 1: "Estimating the Potential Impact of Surveillance Test-and-Treat Posts to Reduce Malaria in Border Regions in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Modelling Study"

    Reviewers highlighted the study's significant contribution to understanding the role of human mobility in malaria control and its detailed simulations across 401 sub-national units