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Pathogens
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Malaria in a Changing World
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Malaria in a Changing World

A special issue of Pathogens (ISSN 2076-0817). This special issue belongs to the section "Parasitic Pathogens".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 August 2026 | Viewed by 2260

Editors

Dr. Harry Tagbor

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Medicine, Department of Community Health, University of Health and Allied Sciences, Ho PMB 31, Ghana
Interests: malaria; parasites; infectious disease
Dr. Luiz Shozo Ozaki

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Life Sciences, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23284, USA
Interests: malaria; parasites; cryptosporidium; insect vector; infectious disease
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Malaria remains one of the world’s most persistent and deadly infectious diseases, yet the world around it is changing rapidly. This Special Issue, titled “Malaria in a Changing World,” invites scholars, practitioners, and policymakers to explore how shifting environmental, social, political, and technological landscapes are reshaping the global malaria challenge. Ranging from climate change and urbanization to drug resistance, vaccine innovation, and geopolitical instability, the factors influencing malaria transmission and control are more dynamic and interconnected than ever before.

This Special Issue aims to highlight interdisciplinary and critical perspectives that examine how malaria adapts to new ecologies, migrates across geopolitical boundaries, and interacts with global inequalities. We welcome contributions that explore emerging themes such as the impact of climate variability on vector ecology; the consequences of conflict and displacement on malaria resurgence; innovations in vaccine and vector control technologies; and the role of health systems and community engagement in sustaining progress. Equally important are investigations into the social, historical, and political contexts that shape malaria research, policy, and practice especially in low- and middle-income countries.

As we face new planetary, technological, and ethical frontiers, this Special Issue seeks to reimagine malaria not only as a biomedical problem but as a complex, evolving phenomenon embedded in broader global transformations. We invite original research articles, reviews, case studies, and commentaries that interrogate and illuminate malaria in this changing world.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Harry Tagbor
Dr. Luiz Shozo Ozaki
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Pathogens is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • malaria
  • climate change
  • vector-borne disease
  • global health
  • drug resistance
  • health systems
  • technological innovation
  • epidemiological transition
  • social determinants of health
  • one health

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

26 pages, 519 KB  
Article
The Persistence of High Maternal Anaemia and Low Birthweight Despite Declining Malaria Transmission and Prevalence in Ghana
by Harry Tagbor, Joseph Osarfo, Doris Okyere, Ekoue Kouevidjin, Matilda Aberese-Ako and Gifty Dufie Ampofo
Pathogens 2026, 15(6), 618; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens15060618 - 9 Jun 2026
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Abstract
Despite declining malaria transmission, maternal anaemia and low birthweight (LBW) remain high in Ghana, suggesting that non-malarial determinants now dominate these outcomes. A cohort of 5197 pregnant women was enrolled at eight health facilities across Ghana’s Ashanti and Volta regions. Independent predictors of [...] Read more.
Despite declining malaria transmission, maternal anaemia and low birthweight (LBW) remain high in Ghana, suggesting that non-malarial determinants now dominate these outcomes. A cohort of 5197 pregnant women was enrolled at eight health facilities across Ghana’s Ashanti and Volta regions. Independent predictors of anaemia at term and LBW were identified by multivariable logistic regression using multiple imputation by chained equations. Anaemia at term prevalence was 60.57% and LBW was 11.54%. No intestinal helminths were detected. Anaemia at antenatal care (ANC) booking was the strongest predictor of anaemia at term (aOR 3.98; absolute risk increase of 31.4 percentage points). Three or more iron and folic acid doses and eight or more ANC contacts each reduced risk by only four to six percentage points. For LBW, household poverty (absolute risk increase 8.8%), short maternal stature, and male foetal sex dominated. Intermittent preventive treatment of malaria in pregnancy with sulfadoxine–pyrimethamine (aOR 0.65) remained protective despite booking parasitaemia being non-significant. The Volta region had higher anaemia (71.1%vs. 47.7%) but lower LBW (9.6%vs. 14.4%) than Ashanti, with markedly higher parasite densities among infected women, consistent with waning naturally acquired immunity. Persistent anaemia and LBW reflect nutritional depletion, structural poverty, and increased malaria vulnerability under declining transmission. Pre-conception nutrition, social protection, and sub-microscopic malaria surveillance must complement clinic care. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Malaria in a Changing World)
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15 pages, 449 KB  
Article
Assessment of Long-Term Sequelae After Severe Malaria: A Retrospective Study
by Florian Cardona, Laura Héritier, Sébastien Cortaredona and Coralie L’Ollivier
Pathogens 2026, 15(2), 154; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens15020154 - 31 Jan 2026
Viewed by 1157
Abstract
Background: Data on long-term sequelae after severe imported Plasmodium falciparum malaria in adults are scarce in non-endemic settings. We aimed to quantify early and medium term renal and neurological outcomes and identify prognostic factors. Therapeutic strategies have evolved with widespread intravenous artesunate, yet [...] Read more.
Background: Data on long-term sequelae after severe imported Plasmodium falciparum malaria in adults are scarce in non-endemic settings. We aimed to quantify early and medium term renal and neurological outcomes and identify prognostic factors. Therapeutic strategies have evolved with widespread intravenous artesunate, yet survivorship data remain limited. Methods: We performed a retrospective study of cases of severe malaria at the University Hospital of Marseille (France) between January 2018 and December 2024. This study is a single-centre retrospective cohort with prospective follow-up using standardised questionnaires. Adults meeting the criteria for severe falciparum malaria were included. The primary endpoint was a composite of renal impairment and/or neurological sequelae assessed at day 28 (D28) and at remote post-discharge follow-up. Patient-reported outcomes were collected at one year. Associations with baseline features were tested using the Fisher’s exact and Wilcoxon–Mann–Whitney tests. Results: Among 474 malaria cases, 66 (13.9%) were severe; of these, 57 met inclusion criteria. Fifty-seven of them were included. All received intravenous artesunate with oral step-down; 35% required ICU care. At D28, 6/41 patients (14.6%) had sequelae (four renal, one neurological, one both). Sequelae at D28 were associated with neurological failure (66.7% vs. 14.3%; p = 0.015), severe metabolic acidosis (50.0% vs. 2.9%; p = 0.007) and renal impairment at admission (83.3% vs. 2.9%; p < 0.001). At remote follow-up, 6/33 patients (18.2%) had sequelae (two renal, three neurological, one both), associated with older age (61.0 ± 5.3 vs. 39.8 ± 15.8 years; p = 0.008), D3 blood smear positivity (66.7% vs. 11.5%; p = 0.012), neurological failure (66.7% vs. 18.5%; p = 0.034) and renal impairment (50.0% vs. 7.4%; p = 0.031). No deaths or relapses occurred. At one year, patient-reported outcomes (n = 14) showed persistent symptoms in 8/14, chiefly fatigue and cognitive complaints. Conclusions: In a high-resource, non-endemic setting, renal and neurological sequelae after severe imported malaria are frequent at D28 and persist in nearly one-fifth of cases during post-discharge follow-up. Neurological failure, metabolic acidosis, renal impairment at presentation, older age and D3 blood smear positivity identify patients at risk and support risk-stratified post-discharge follow-up. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Malaria in a Changing World)
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