Author: Dr. Venkat Rao, ERP Chief Scientist

ERP International, LLC (ERP) attended the 2022 Annual Meeting of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH), a global conference of scientists from government public health agencies, academic and early-career investigators in tropical medicine and infectious diseases research. The 2022 ASTMH was held from October 30 to November 3, 2022, at Seattle, WA.

At the ASTMH Annual Meeting infectious disease researchers from around the world, work jointly with academia, industry partners, philanthropic entities, and the federal government agencies, to present new findings and discuss key challenges to strengthening the research and community-level intervention capacity in disease-affected countries and to promote innovative approaches that reduce the burden of malaria and other infectious diseases.

ERP actively provides medical services and clinical research related support to the military medical treatment facilities and research support services, including a contract to provide infectious diseases related staffing support to the US Navy Medical Research Unit-3 (NAMRU-3), in the Republic of Djibouti. Dr. Venkat Rao, ERP’s Chief Scientist had the opportunity to meet with US Navy researchers and program managers from NAMRU-3 during the conference.

Speaking to the 2022 Annual Meeting’s focal theme, “Global Health = Human Rights”, Dr. Daniel Bausch, President of ASTMH stressed on the ravages of infectious diseases in general and public health burden of malaria, in particular, on developing countries in Africa, Latin America and Asia. Equating global health as a human rights issue, the ASTMH meeting’s focus was predominantly on malaria and neglected tropical diseases (NTD). This included covering ongoing research, field investigations, detection and diagnostic technologies, medical intervention, vector control and prevention related efforts, in regions of the world most affected by these diseases. 

Scientific investigators, medical service providers, public health professionals and government agencies in Africa are making efforts to accelerate progress against malaria and NTDs. At the Kigali Summit earlier in the summer of 2022, African leadership made a global commitment to end malaria by 2030. With support of more than $4 billion from the US government together with international and philanthropic organizations this effort is considered crucial in combating the resurgence of malaria further exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Just as humanity got rid of smallpox in 1980 and polio for the most part eradicated by 99 percent in 1988, the global community goal is to reduce malaria incident and mortality by at least 90 percent by 2030. The ASTMH scientific community demonstrated the vigor and seriousness of the task, which was in full display at the Annual Meeting.

Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Ghana, Mali, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Uganda, Tanzania, and India account for 70% of the global malaria disease burden and associated fatalities. These countries together with assistance from the World Health Organization are adopting a High Burden High Impact approach primarily focused on improving public health and collection of good quality data to accurately assess status and monitor progress. These efforts aim to better clarify public health needs and improved focus on prevention and intervention activities. 

Breaking transmission of malaria in high-risk populations and target countries remains a major global challenge. A study from Senegal pointed out a mere 35% increase in the use of Net at night preventing infected mosquito bite and transmit malaria pathogen reduced malaria incidence by 11% which in absolute numbers is an impressive reduction of malaria cases. 

Resistance of malaria pathogen to drugs used to treat the disease is a major public health issue. Several studies reported resistance of malaria parasite to last resort antimalarial drugs. The need for new antimalarial drug development is more urgent now then ever before, according to multiple research teams reporting at the Annual Meeting. Drugs currently approved for treatment of cancer and cystic fibrosis are now under investigation for use to treat malaria as repurposed drugs. Although preliminary results are promising a lot more detailed studies are needed before they can be approved by the regulators for wider use against malaria. Repurposed drugs are a short-cut to treatment solutions when there is very little or no investment from the private sector globally towards new drug development to combat malaria and other neglected tropical disease. 

Vaccines to prevent malaria remains elusive, although there are multiple teams of researchers from the US, Europe and Africa working on monoclonal antibodies as a preventive measure. Phase 1 and 2 studies sponsored by the US National Institutes of Health and the PATH’s Malaria Vaccine Initiative are at various stages of progress in the United States, Mali, Kenya, and The Netherlands. Clinical studies report 80% to 90% efficacy in malaria prevention and protection lasting for up to 6 months. Although most studies are still under clinical investigations, monoclonal antibodies offer considerable promise in malaria prevention programs globally. 

The ASTMH meeting provided research and policy community from around the world with a highly collaborative forum comprised of panel discussions, technical presentation, posters, and technology demonstration on a host of topics related to presentation, detection, intervention, and challenges to elimination of malaria. ERP enjoyed the opportunity to network with the military research community engaged in infectious disease program, academic research community, and served as a forum to engage strategic business partners and business associates partnered with ERP’s medical research and readiness solutions practice.