Page 99 - SAMRC Annual Report 2024-2025

PERFORMANCE INFORMATION
Advancing Research Priorities:
Strategic Objectives and Impact
The priority for the Malaria Research Group (MRG)
is to eliminate malaria in South Africa by 2030.
This is accomplished by supporting National
Department of Health's malaria elimination agenda
by conducting research that reinforces interventions
in place; generating new knowledge and techniques
Collecting samples for Lubombo Spatial
Development Initiative 2.
SAMRC ANNUAL REPOR T 2024-25
Malaria Research Group
Platform director:
Prof. Rajendra Maharaj
rajendra.maharaj@mrc.ac.za
impacting upon malaria transmission; to create a
pool of scientists to achieve the eradication goal.
These priorities are relevant to research undertaken
during the 2024/2025 period.
Lubombo Spatial Development Initiative 2, aimed
to find the insecticide resistance profile of vectors in
Limpopo, Mpumalanga, and KwaZulu-Natal – Indoor
residual spraying (IRS) is a tool employed in SA to
control vectors and reduce malaria transmission. For
successful malaria control, it is vital to find resistance
profile of vectors. No new vectors were found;
laboratory tests revealed field-collected mosquitoes
were vulnerable to insecticides currently used. Project
influences current and future vector control policy.
Cross-border Malaria – As SA strives towards
becoming malaria-free, imported malaria continues
to drive low levels of transmission in endemic areas,
especially KZN. SA Treasury supported a project
to implement IRS in southern Mozambique to
reduce the importation of malaria into KZN. People
crossing the border were screened, and a decrease
in imported malaria cases was noted.
Key Milestones and Achievements
The MRG submitted a tender application to the
National Department of Health and was successfully
awarded R23 million, to continue the monitoring
and evaluation work in southern Mozambique. The
impact of this funding reduces malaria transmission
at its source which subsequently reduces the
number of cross-border transmissions into South
Africa. Regional and cross-border malaria pose a
major challenge to South Africa's elimination goal.
This grant will have a positive impact on the health
and well-being of people both in South Africa and
Mozambique.
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