Contributing to the global efforts of eradicating malaria

Oumou Kalsom Gueye is a PhD Fellow at the Malaria Research Capacity Development Consortium (MARCAD) based at the Cheikh Anta Diop University in Dakar (UCAD). MARCAD is one of the 11 Developing Excellence, Leadership and Training in Science in Africa (DELTAS Africa) programmes, which funds Africa-based scientists to amplify the development of world-class research and scientific leadership on the continent while strengthening African institutions. DELTAS Africa is implemented through the AESA Platform (Alliance for Accelerating Excellence in Science in Africa), a funding, agenda setting and programme management platform created by the African Academy of Sciences (AAS), the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD), founding and funding global partners, and through a resolution of the summit of African Union Heads of Governments. DELTAS Africa is supported by Wellcome and the United Kingdom Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO formerly DFID).

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Prof Jean Louis Abdourahim Ndiaye, OPT-SMC project PI in Senegal

Prof Jean Louis Abdourahim Ndiaye, in charge of Monitoring and Evaluation in MARCAD, has been selected to lead the Opt-SMC project, which aims to optimize the delivery and effectiveness of Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention (SMC).

In the Sahel and sub-Saharan regions of Africa, malaria-related death and serious illness occur mainly among young children during the rainy season, which generally lasts three to five months. SMC helps to ensure a high level of protection against malaria in children during that period.
SMC consists of monthly administration of sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine and amodiaquine to children from three months to five years during the peak of malaria transmission season. In Senegal, the target has been extended to children up to 10 years old.
The Opt-SMC project is a partnership between the University of Thiès in Senegal, the UNDP/UNICEF/World Bank/WHO Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (TDR), Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV) and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM).

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The MARCAD Programme contributes in the fight against COVID-19 at the Faculty of Medicine/UCAD

The Malaria Research Capacity Development (MARCAD) programme at UCAD has donated personal protective materials to the Faculty of Medicine, Pharmacy and Odontology (FMPO) of the Cheikh Anta Diop University, on Monday 24th August, to support the Senegal national COVID-19 response.

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Barriers to malaria interventions in Ghana

Matilda Aberese-Ako is a medical anthropologist and MARCAD postdoctoral researcher at the University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS) in Ghana. The Malaria Research Capacity Development Consortium (MARCAD) research programme is supported by the Developing Excellence, Leadership and Training in Science in Africa (DELTAS Africa). MARCAD is one of the 11 DELTAS Africa programmes. DELTAS Africa funds collaborative networks/consortia led by Africa-based scientists to amplify Africa-led development of world-class research and scientific leaders on the continent, while strengthening African institutions. DELTAS Africa is implemented through AESA (The Alliance for Accelerating Excellence in Science in Africa), a funding, agenda setting and programme management platform created by the African Academy of Sciences (AAS) and the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD) and with the support of Wellcome and the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID).

Read more: Barriers to malaria interventions in Ghana