Tropical disease research | News | Malaria intervention trials: research gaps

Malaria intervention trials: research gaps

Print PDF

Nine out of ten deaths from malaria occur in sub-Saharan Africa. Various control measures have achieved some progress in the control of the disease, but malaria is still a major public health problem in Africa. Identifying gaps in research is not a straightforward process. It is important to identify which malaria interventions have been trialled, where and with whom. Trials must be methodologically sound and published reports sufficiently detailed and transparent. This information, needed to help draw up policy and plans for future research, is not readily available.

An attempt to address these questions has been made by South African and British researchers, who have conducted a “descriptive analysis” of randomized controlled trials of malaria interventions in Africa conducted from 1948 to 2007. Their project is quite distinct from a systematic review of the evidence, as no attempt was made to combine or analyse the data generated by the trials.

Citation: Lutje V, Gerritsen A, Siegfried N. Randomized controlled trials of malaria intervention trials in Africa, 1948 to 2007: a descriptive analysis. Malaria Journal, 2011, 10(1):61.  Full publisher text PDF [322 KB, 8 pages]