How early childhood malaria prevention affects malaria risk when children start school
Impact of early childhood malaria prevention on malaria risk at school entry (ERASE)
This project sees if giving young children seasonal malaria medicines and/or the RTS,S vaccine changes their chance of having malaria when they reach school age.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Maryland Baltimore NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Baltimore, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11136454 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
We will follow children in Ghana who received seasonal malaria chemoprevention (SMC), the RTS,S vaccine, both, or neither, and compare their health as they enter school. The team will collect health information, do blood tests to check for malaria infection and immune responses, and record episodes of illness over time. By comparing nearby districts with different prevention programs, researchers aim to understand whether early prevention changes infection rates or severe disease later in childhood. Families would be asked for consent, to attend local visits, and to allow simple blood draws for testing.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are children in the Ghana districts where SMC and/or the RTS,S vaccine were given, particularly those entering or in early school years (roughly ages 5–15).
Not a fit: Children who live outside the study districts or who are much younger or older than the target ages (under 5 or over 15) are unlikely to be included or to receive direct benefit from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the results could help programs balance early malaria prevention with long-term protection so school-age children have lower malaria risk.
How similar studies have performed: Large pilot programs have shown RTS,S vaccination and SMC reduce malaria burden in young children, but studying their combined and longer-term effects through school age is a newer question.
Where this research is happening
Baltimore, United States
- University of Maryland Baltimore — Baltimore, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Harrison, Shannon Takala — University of Maryland Baltimore
- Study coordinator: Harrison, Shannon Takala
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.