Why malaria stays hidden and comes back each year in Mali communities
Official title: Malaria Epidemiology
Funded at Univ of Sciences, Tech & Tech of Bamako · NIH-11345362 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at who carries malaria without symptoms and how those infections restart the next malaria season in children and adults in different parts of Mali.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Univ of Sciences, Tech & Tech of Bamako NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Bamako, Mali) |
| Project start | April 18, 2017 |
| Project end | March 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $194,938 |
| NIH project number | 5U19AI129387-10 |
| Project ID | NIH-11345362 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People of all ages living in the study communities in Mali (including children, adolescents, and adults in Bamako and selected rural and peri-urban sites) would be the intended participants.
✕Less likely to help
People who live outside the study areas or in non-endemic countries, or those not exposed to local malaria transmission, are unlikely to receive direct benefits from this project.
What this research studies
This project follows people in rural, urban, and peri-urban communities in Mali from the end of one transmission season through the dry season and into the next wet season. Researchers will test children and adults for malaria parasites, including low-level infections that cause no symptoms, and track who becomes sick when transmission resumes. They will compare patterns across different ecological settings and local control measures to find where hidden infections persist. The goal is to identify where and whom to target with more focused prevention or treatment to prevent yearly malaria resurgence.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could help health programs target treatments or prevention during the dry season to stop malaria from resurging each year.
How similar studies have gone: Seasonal surveys and sensitive parasite testing have uncovered hidden malaria infections elsewhere, but focusing on dry-season reservoirs across different West African settings is relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
-
Univ of Sciences, Tech & Tech of Bamako
Bamako, Mali Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Toure, Mahamoudou — Univ of Sciences, Tech & Tech of Bamako
- Study coordinator: Toure, Mahamoudou
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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.