Asset Publisher

Malaria Elimination

MESA

Sharing knowledge and catalyzing research towards a malaria-free world

MESA is dedicated to gathering and sharing knowledge to inform decisions responding to the needs of malaria-endemic countries. MESA was born out of a systematic review of malaria science priorities and challenges by a broad range of stakeholders and leading researchers, who collaboratively produced the first Malaria Eradication Research Agenda (malERA) in 2011.

MESA's objectives and activities are aligned with Roll Back Malaria's Global Malaria Action Plan strategy to research new tools and approaches to support global control and elimination efforts. With the community, MESA monitors progress and takes the next steps to advance the science of malaria eradication. MESA reviews existing evidence and supports projects on research questions critical to malaria eradication.

MESA fulfils four key functions:

1. Ideas incubator

Meaning ‘table', MESA provides the space for the multidisciplinary community to:

  • Examine the state of the art in malaria research.
  • Showcase new evidence and emerging data at a scientific meeting and expand access to these findings via the MESA Correspondents programme.
  • Debate new challenges and generate new ideas.
  • Conceptualise research activities including projects, studentships and evidence reviews.


2. Knowledge management

Vital questions for advancing malaria research include "what do we know?" and "what don't we know?" MESA provides knowledge management processes to tackle these questions, through:

  • Systematic review of existing information on the effectiveness of interventions and approaches for malaria elimination.
  • Quality assessment of the evidence.
  • Partnering with the WHO GMP to access information.
  • Disseminating the findings and building the evidence base.


3. Catalysing research

MESA endorses and supports research testing novel ideas as well as research using existing tools differently, through:

  • Support to projects through competitive grants.
  • Endorsement of projects for other funding streams.
  • Support to studentships through competitive awards.


4. Monitoring progress

MESA tracks progress and feeds back to the community, through:

  • Tracking investment levels and trends in R&D.
  • Updating the malaria R&D agenda.
  • Reporting on progress.


MESA functions are cyclical; examining evidence, identifying gaps and new priorities leading to new projects and the continual development of the malaria research agenda.

The MESA Steering Committee, chaired by Pedro Alonso, governs MESA and the MESA Strategic Advisory Council provides overall guidance. The MESA Secretariat is hosted by ISGlobal (Barcelona Institute of Global Health), Nana Aba Williams is the MESA Project Manager. For further information please contact the MESA Secretariat at mesa@isglobal.org

MESA Research Portfolio

In 2012, MESA set up a process to identify and select research projects which advance the science of malaria eradication. Following a call for proposals in two thematic areas: 'Measurement of transmission' and 'Health systems' readiness', project proposals were appraised by independent peer review panels. Three projects in each theme were selected for financial support by MESA and one proposal was endorsed for support through other funding streams. Research activities in the six projects span Africa, Asia, Latin America and Australasia and are relevant to both P. falciparum and P. vivax malaria. See the process schematic and project summaries here .

In 2014 following another call, four more projects were selected to receive funding. These operational research projects encompasses urban, rural and forest environments, and include: 
  • New tools for vector control and diagnosis
  • Use of mapping technologies for surveillance and tailored response
  • Mobile applications for populations living in areas with poor access
In all cases, the projects are characterised by strong relationships between the stakeholders in the area under study and researchers. The four projects were selected by an independent panel of peer reviewers made up of 12 leading experts, who evaluated in depth the 91 proposals submitted. The review process is explained in this figure. Abstracts of the projects selected can be seen here. A schematic of the process is also available. 

Malaria Policy Advisory Committee to the WHO

The Malaria Policy Advisory Committee to the World Health Organization held its fourth meeting in Geneva, Switzerland from 11 to 13 September, 2013. The following article provides a summary of the discussions, conclusions and recommendations from that meeting. MESA is partnering with Global Malaria Programme to disseminate the report:
Meeting sessions included:
  • recommendations for achieving universal coverage of long-lasting insecticide-treated nets
  • guidance on estimating the longevity of insecticide-treated nets
  • improving capacity in entomology and vector control
  • a review of the latest evidence on intermittent preventive treatment in pregnancy
  • updates on the development of the global technical strategy for malaria control and elimination (2016–2025) and the global strategy for control and elimination of Plasmodium vivax
  • and much more.

Other information

Minutes of MESA's kick off meeting (Sitges, Spain, 28-29 May 2012)

Follow MESA on twitter: @MESAmalaria

2013 MESA Call for Proposals

MESA Grant Budget Template 2013

MESA Conflict of Interest Statement

Other projects

See Past Projects

NHEPACHA

New Tools for the Diagnosis and Evaluation of Chagas Disease

RTS,S Vaccine Immunology Study

Study of immune correlates of protection against malaria after vaccination with RTS,S/AS01E: a comprehensive immunological arm of a Phase III double-blind, randomized, controlled multi-center trial

Euroleish.net

Control of Leishmaniasis. From bench to bedside and community

GREPIMER

Grup de recerca en patología importada i malaties emergents i re-emergents

TESEO

New chemotherapy regimens and biomarkers for Chagas Disease

ASINTMAL

Unravelling Disease Tolerance and Host Resistance in Afebrile 'P. falciparum' Infections: a Prospective Study in Mozambican Adults

ADAM

Malaria mass and focal drug administration to advance malaria elimination in Mozambique: accelerating programmatic implementation and policy translation

MULTIPLY

MULTIple doses of IPTi Proposal: a Lifesaving high Yield intervention

Science4Pandemics

Citizens engagement digital platform for collective intelligence in pandemics

HIDDENVIVAX

Novel organ-on-a-chip technology to study extracellular vesicles-mediated cryptic infections in Plasmodium vivax malaria

EpiGen

Building Scalable Pathogen Genomic Epidemiology in Ethiopia

MalTransc

Transcriptional regulation of adaptation and developmental decisions in malaria parasites: from epigenetic variation to directed transcriptional responses

BOHEMIA

Broad One Health Endectocide-based Malaria Intervention in Africa

RESPONSE

Mechanisms of the transcriptional responses to changes in the environment in the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum

VivaxEVTalk

Extracellular Vesicles as Intercellular Communicators and Biomarkers of Cryptic Erythrocytic Infections in Plasmodium vivax malaria

VaMonoS

Unravelling the heterogoneity and function of monocytes in vaccination and immunity to malaria

CLIMSOCTRYPBOL

Insight on climate and social participatory research for integral management of vectorborne zoonosis caused by Trypanosoma cruzi and Leishmania spp. in the Bolivian Gran Chaco.

SexMal

Social affairs and sex in P. falciparum: implications for malaria elimination

MENA Migrant Health

Transforming data collection and surveillance to drive migrant health research, care and policy

GenMoz

P. falciparum genomic intelligence in Mozambique

SMART

Identifying Severe Malaria with a new Aptamer-based Rapid diagnostic Test