Malaria Atlas Project
{{Short description|Academic group}}
{{More citations needed|date=August 2023}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox Organization
|name = Malaria Atlas Project
|image = MAP Logo.png
|size = 240
|msize = (map size, optional, default 200px)
|mcaption = (optional)
|abbreviation = MAP
|formation = {{start date and age|2006|05|01|df=y}}{{cite journal |title=The Malaria Atlas Project: Developing Global Maps of Malaria Risk |journal=PLOS Medicine |volume=3 |issue=12 |pages=e473 |first1=Simon I |last1=Hay |first2=Robert W |last2=Snow |publisher=PLOS |date=5 December 2006|doi=10.1371/journal.pmed.0030473 |pmid=17147467 |pmc=1762059 |doi-access=free }}{{cite web |url=https://malariaatlas.org/people/ |title=MAP Researchers |publisher=Malaria Atlas Project |accessdate=9 January 2017 |archive-date=5 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200505113651/https://malariaatlas.org/people/ |url-status=live }}
|type =
|purpose = Determining spatial limits of Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax malaria at a global scale and its endemicity within this range
|headquarters = Perth, Australia
|region_served = Global
|language = English
|leader_title = Head of Group
|leader_name = Peter Gething
|parent_organization = Telethon Kids Institute
|website = {{url|malariaatlas.org}}
}}
File:A-new-world-malaria-map-Plasmodium-falciparum-endemicity-in-2010-1475-2875-10-378-2.jpg
File:The spatial distribution of Plasmodium vivax malaria endemicity map in 2010 globally.png
The Malaria Atlas Project (MAP) is a nonprofit academic group led by Peter Gething, Kerry M Stokes Chair in Child Health, at the Telethon Kids Institute, Perth, Western Australia. The group is funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, with previous funding also coming from the Medical Research Council and the Wellcome Trust. MAP aims to disseminate free, accurate, and up-to-date information on malaria and associated topics, organised on a geographical basis. The work of MAP falls into three areas:
- Estimation of the spatial distribution of malaria prevalence and incidence and related topics, such as the spatial distribution of insecticide treated nets, antimalarial drugs, mosquito vectors, and human blood disorders
- Disseminating data on malaria via the Repository for Open Access Data (ROAD-MAP) project
- Providing maps relating to malaria prevalence and related topics for the World Health Organization (WHO) and other bodies
The MAP team have assembled a unique spatial database on linked information derived from medical intelligence, satellite-derived climate data to constrain the limits of malaria transmission,{{cite journal|last1=Weiss|first1=D.J.|last2=Mappin|first2=B.|last3=Dalrymple|first3=U.|last4=Bhatt|first4=S.|last5=Cameron|first5=E.|last6=Hay|first6=S.I|last7=Gething|first7=P.W.|title=Re-examining environmental correlates of Plasmodium falciparum malaria endemicity: a data-intensive variable selection approach.|journal=Malaria Journal|date=7 February 2015|volume=14|issue=68|pages=68|doi=10.1186/s12936-015-0574-x|pmid=25890035|pmc=4333887 |doi-access=free }} and the largest-ever archive of community-based estimates of parasite prevalence.{{cite journal |last1=Gething |first1=P.W. |last2=Elyazar |first2=I.R.F. |last3=Moyes |first3=C.M |last4=Smith |first4=D.L. |last5=Battle |first5=K.E. |last6=Guerra |first6=C.A. |last7=Patil |first7=A.P |last8=Tatem |first8=A.J. |last9=Howes |first9=R.E. |last10=Myers |first10=M.F. |last11=George |first11=D.B. |last12=Horby |first12=P. |last13=Wertheim |first13=H.F. |last14=Price |first14=R., Müller.I |last15=Baird |first15=J.K. |last16=HAY |first16=S.I |title=A long neglected world malaria map: Plasmodium vivax endemicity |journal=PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases |date=6 September 2012 |volume=6 |page=e1814 |doi=10.1371/journal.pntd.0001814 |pmid=22970336 |pmc=3435256 |issue=9 |doi-access=free }} These data have been assembled and analysed by a team of geographers, statisticians, epidemiologists, biologists, and public health specialists. Furthermore, where these data have been cleared for release, they are available via a data explorer tool on the MAP website.
History
MAP was founded by Bob Snow and Simon Hay in 2005 to fill the niche for the malaria control community at a global scale. Between 2012 and 2015, it was led by Peter Gething, Dave Smith, Catherine Moyes, and Simon Hay.{{Citation needed|date=August 2023}} The initial focus of MAP centred on predicting the endemicity of Plasmodium falciparum,{{cite journal|last1=Gething|first1=P.W|last2=Patil|first2=A.P|last3=Smith|first3=D.L.|last4=Guerra|first4=C.A.|last5=Elyazar|first5=I.R.F.|last6=Johnston|first6=G.L.|last7=Tatem|first7=A.J.|last8=Hay|first8=S.I|title=A new world malaria map: Plasmodium falciparum endemicity in 2010|journal=Malaria Journal|date=20 December 2011|volume=10|issue=378|pages=378|doi=10.1186/1475-2875-10-378|pmid=22185615|pmc=3274487 |doi-access=free }} the most deadly form of the malaria parasite, due to its global epidemiological significance and its better prospects for elimination and control. Work in 2009 began to map the extent and burden of the relatively neglected Plasmodium vivax.{{Citation needed|date=September 2022}}
The Repository for Open Access Data from the Malaria Atlas Project (ROAD-MAP) was established in 2011.{{Citation needed|date=September 2022}}
The project moved from the University of Oxford in the UK to the Telethon Kids Institute in Perth, Western Australia, in September 2019.{{cite news |title=International funding boost for global malaria research |url=https://www.telethonkids.org.au/news--events/news-and-events-nav/2023/november/international-funding-boost-malaria-research/ |website=telethonkids.org.au |date=20 November 2023 |access-date=14 April 2024 |archive-date=29 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231229053626/https://www.telethonkids.org.au/news--events/news-and-events-nav/2023/november/international-funding-boost-malaria-research/ |url-status=live }}
In late 2023, an East African branch of MAP was established at the Ifakara Health Institute in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
Academic research
=Modelling malaria prevalence=
A key aspect of MAP's work is to use statistical approaches to modelling the prevalence of different forms of malaria on a global scale using Bayesian model-based geostatistics.{{Cite journal | url= | doi=10.1016/j.pt.2011.01.003| pmid=21420361| pmc=3109552| title=Bayesian geostatistics in health cartography: The perspective of malaria| journal=Trends in Parasitology| volume=27| issue=6| pages=246–253| year=2011| last1=Patil| first1=Anand P.| last2=Gething| first2=Peter W.| last3=Piel| first3=Frédéric B.| last4=Hay| first4=Simon I.}}
==''Plasmodium falciparum'' prevalence maps==
In September 2015, research by MAP published in Nature quantified the attributable effect of malaria disease control efforts in Africa. The results showed Plasmodium falciparum infection prevalence in endemic Africa halved and the incidence of clinical disease fell by 40% between 2000 and 2015. The best estimate is that interventions have averted 663 million clinical cases since 2000. Insecticide-treated nets, the most widespread intervention, were by far the largest contributor. Although still below target levels, current malaria interventions have substantially reduced malaria disease incidence across the continent.{{Cite journal|title = The effect of malaria control on Plasmodium falciparum in Africa between 2000 and 2015|journal = Nature|pages = 207–211|volume = 526|issue = 7572|doi = 10.1038/nature15535|first1 = S.|last1 = Bhatt|first2 = D. J.|last2 = Weiss|first3 = E.|last3 = Cameron|first4 = D.|last4 = Bisanzio|first5 = B.|last5 = Mappin|first6 = U.|last6 = Dalrymple|first7 = K. E.|last7 = Battle|first8 = C. L.|last8 = Moyes|first9 = A.|last9 = Henry|pmid=26375008|date=Oct 2015|pmc=4820050|bibcode = 2015Natur.526..207B}}{{Cite news|title = Millions of children's lives saved as malaria deaths plunge: U.N.|url = https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-malaria-who-idUSKCN0RG31Q20150916|newspaper = Reuters|date = 16 September 2015|access-date = 9 December 2015|archive-date = 26 January 2016|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160126202433/http://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-malaria-who-idUSKCN0RG31Q20150916|url-status = live}}
==''Plasmodium vivax'' prevalence maps==
In 2012, MAP published the first global maps for Plasmodium vivax endemicity.
See also
References
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