Geo-linked system to find and respond to antimalarial drug resistance in Ghana
Geo-enabled detect and respond system for antimalarial resistance in Ghana: GDRS - Ghana
This project will use small community blood samples and GPS-linked data in Ghana to spot early signs of malaria parasites becoming resistant to antimalarial drugs so treatments keep working.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Institute of Human Virology NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Abuja, Nigeria) |
| Project ID | NIH-11416246 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You may be asked to give a small finger-prick dried blood spot and basic location or community information for surveillance. Teams will link each sample to GPS-based location data and send samples to regional genomic labs in a hub-and-spoke network for molecular testing of malaria parasites. The project combines those genomic results with local health and survey data to map where drug-resistant parasites are emerging. That information is shared with health authorities to guide treatment choices and public health responses.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants are community members in the Ghanaian areas covered by the project who can provide a small dried blood spot and basic location/contact information, including people with recent malaria or for routine community surveillance.
Not a fit: People living outside the surveillance regions or those not infected with malaria are unlikely to receive direct benefits from this surveillance project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could help health officials detect drug-resistant malaria sooner and change treatments to prevent more people from having ineffective therapy.
How similar studies have performed: Molecular surveillance using parasite genetic markers has helped detect resistance in other regions and is increasingly used, though combining community GPS-linked sampling with expanded hub-and-spoke genomic networks is a newer, expanding approach.
Where this research is happening
Abuja, Nigeria
- Institute of Human Virology — Abuja, Nigeria (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Abimiku, Alash'le G. — Institute of Human Virology
- Study coordinator: Abimiku, Alash'le G.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.