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TropicalMed
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The Global Burden of Malaria and Control Strategies, 2nd Edition
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The Global Burden of Malaria and Control Strategies, 2nd Edition

A special issue of Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease (ISSN 2414-6366). This special issue belongs to the section "Vector-Borne Diseases".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 March 2026) | Viewed by 939

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Arthur Sovi

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Disease Control Department, The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London WC1E 7HT, UK
Interests: LLINs; IRS; insecticide resistance; malaria transmission
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Malaria remains a global public health issue, with approximately 234 million cases in 2021. A particularly high rebound of 13 million cases was observed between 2019 and 2020 due to disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The vectors that transmit the disease are Anopheles mosquitoes, and the deadliest parasite is P. falciparum.

As malaria is a mosquito-borne disease, the main strategies deployed for preventing its spread include insecticide-based vector control tools such as indoor residual spraying (IRS) and long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs). Given the global burden of the disease, despite the efforts deployed for controlling it, many challenges remain. One of the obstacles that could undermine the efficacy of these vector control tools is vector resistance to insecticides. This phenomenon is a growing concern as its intensity is becoming higher in vector populations. This emphasizes the need to research insecticides with a new mode of action for the improved control of resistant malaria vectors.

The 2nd Edition of this Special Issue on the global burden of malaria and its control strategies will continue to focus on investigating the efficacy of alternatives insecticides in contrast to traditional neurotoxic ones; insecticide resistance in malaria vectors (intensity and mechanisms involved); phase 2 and 3 effectiveness of vector control tools, including new ones; and malaria transmission and the factors involved.

Dr. Arthur Sovi
Guest Editor

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-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease 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 2700 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

  • LLINs
  • IRS
  • insecticide resistance
  • resistance mechanisms
  • malaria transmission
 
 

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

17 pages, 1149 KB  
Article
Clinical Characteristics and Outcomes of Malaria Patients in the Aseer Region, Saudi Arabia: A Retrospective Study (2022–2025)
by Fouad Ibrahim Alshehri, Dhaifullah Ahmed Alkhosafi, Essam Abdullah Al Asmari, Abdulrahman Bin Saeed, Anas Mohammed Zarbah, Saeed Ali Algarni, Mohammed Gasim Ahmed, Marim Abdallah Mohamed, Fatma Anter Mady, Saleh Mohammed Zafer Albakri and Ramy Mohamed Ghazy
Trop. Med. Infect. Dis. 2026, 11(4), 108; https://doi.org/10.3390/tropicalmed11040108 - 20 Apr 2026
Viewed by 446
Abstract
Background: Saudi Arabia has made significant progress toward malaria elimination; however, imported cases continue to occur, particularly in the southwestern regions. This study aimed to describe the clinical characteristics and outcomes of patients with malaria in the Aseer Region, Saudi Arabia. Methods: A [...] Read more.
Background: Saudi Arabia has made significant progress toward malaria elimination; however, imported cases continue to occur, particularly in the southwestern regions. This study aimed to describe the clinical characteristics and outcomes of patients with malaria in the Aseer Region, Saudi Arabia. Methods: A retrospective observational study was conducted at Khamis Mushait General Hospital, Aseer Region, Saudi Arabia, including all patients with malaria from January 2022 to December 2025. Demographic, clinical, laboratory, and outcome data were extracted from the electronic medical records. Severe malaria was defined according to the World Health Organization criteria. Multivariate logistic regression using Firth’s penalized maximum likelihood estimation was performed to identify independent predictors of severe malaria (≥1 WHO criterion). Statistical analysis was performed using R software (version 4.2.1). Results: A total of 311 patients were included, predominantly male (90.0%), with a mean age of 28.8 ± 11.3 years. Ethiopian nationals comprised nearly half the cases (48.2%), followed by Saudi (16.4%) and Yemeni (15.1%) nationals. Plasmodium vivax was the most common species (51.1%), followed by Plasmodium. falciparum (40.2%). Fever was the most frequent symptom (89.4%), followed by fatigue (50.8%), chills (46.9%), and vomiting (39.5%). Low parasitemia (<1%) was the most frequent finding (33.8%), followed by moderate (27.3%) and mild (18.3%) levels, while high (4.2%) and very high parasitemia (1.9%) were uncommon. Severe malaria (≥1 criterion) was diagnosed at 43.7%, with severe anemia (26.0%) and jaundice (23.2%) being the most frequent WHO severity criteria. Notably, 84% of the cases occurred during 2024–2025, indicating a recent outbreak, with a sharp peak of 43 cases in October 2024. Multivariate logistic regression identified two independent predictors of having at least one WHO severity criterion: higher parasitemia level (adjusted OR = 1.70 per 1% increase, 95% CI: 1.40–2.11, p < 0.001) and non-Saudi nationality (adjusted OR = 2.40, 95% CI: 1.10–5.62, p = 0.027). Conclusions: Malaria in the Aseer Region predominantly affects young adult male expatriates, suggesting its imported nature. The predominance of P. vivax represents a shift from historical patterns. Parasitemia level and being of non-Saudi nationality independently predict severe malaria and may therefore support risk stratification and clinical decision-making. The dramatic case surge in 2024–2025 highlights regional vulnerability to outbreaks despite control progress. These findings support enhanced screening for at-risk populations, maintenance of clinical capacity for severe malaria management, and robust surveillance systems for early outbreak detection. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Global Burden of Malaria and Control Strategies, 2nd Edition)
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