American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
November 2013; 89 (5)
http://www.ajtmh.org/content/current

The Economic Case for Combating Malaria
Mark Purdy, Matthew Robinson, Kuangyi Wei, and David Rublin
Am J Trop Med Hyg 2013 89:819-823; doi:10.4269/ajtmh.12-0689
http://www.ajtmh.org/content/89/5/819.abstract

Abstract.
To date, existing studies focus largely on the economic detriments of malaria. However, if we are to create suitable incentives for larger-scale, more sustained anti-malaria efforts from a wider group of stakeholders, we need a much better understanding of the economic benefits of malaria reduction and elimination. Our report seeks to rectify this disjuncture by showing how attaining the funding needed to meet internationally agreed targets for malaria elimination would, on conservative assumptions, generate enormous economic improvements. We use a cost-benefit analysis anchored in Global Malaria Action Plan projections of malaria eradication based on fully met funding goals. By calculating the value of economic output accrued caused by work years saved and subtracting the costs of intervention, we find that malaria reduction and elimination during 2013–2035 has a 2013 net present value of US $208.6 billion.

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Malaria Diagnostics in Clinical Trials
Sean C. Murphy*, Joseph P. Shott, Sunil Parikh, Paige Etter, William R. Prescott and V. Ann Stewart

Abstract.
Malaria diagnostics are widely used in epidemiologic studies to investigate natural history of disease and in drug and vaccine clinical trials to exclude participants or evaluate efficacy. The Malaria Laboratory Network (MLN), managed by the Office of HIV/AIDS Network Coordination, is an international working group with mutual interests in malaria disease and diagnosis and in human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome clinical trials. The MLN considered and studied the wide array of available malaria diagnostic tests for their suitability for screening trial participants and/or obtaining study endpoints for malaria clinical trials, including studies of HIV/malaria co-infection and other malaria natural history studies. The MLN provides recommendations on microscopy, rapid diagnostic tests, serologic tests, and molecular assays to guide selection of the most appropriate test(s) for specific research objectives. In addition, this report provides recommendations regarding quality management to ensure reproducibility across sites in clinical trials. Performance evaluation, quality control, and external quality assessment are critical processes that must be implemented in all clinical trials using malaria tests.