New strategies are needed to fight malaria in countries with low prevalence, because “pockets of infection remain, mainly among men living or working outdoors,” according to a paper published in The Lancet, BBC News reports. “Those working in forests or plantations, or sleeping in fields overnight to protect crops, are all specific groups — known as ‘hot pops’ (populations),” the news service writes, adding, “Other groups who are disproportionately affected include ethnic or political minorities who are typically poor and often on the move.” Richard Feachem, the study’s lead author and director of the Global Health Group at the University of California, San Francisco, said strategies to fight malaria over the last decade have been very effective, but they “must evolve to respond effectively to the changing patterns of infection in low transmission areas. … More sophisticated and targeted approaches to identifying those people who are infected, and responding promptly and effectively, must be put in place,” according to the BBC. The paper discusses the challenges of malaria drug resistance, changing epidemiology, different malaria parasites, and strategies to combat the disease, the news service notes (4/14).

The KFF Daily Global Health Policy Report summarized news and information on global health policy from hundreds of sources, from May 2009 through December 2020. All summaries are archived and available via search.

KFF Headquarters: 185 Berry St., Suite 2000, San Francisco, CA 94107 | Phone 650-854-9400
Washington Offices and Barbara Jordan Conference Center: 1330 G Street, NW, Washington, DC 20005 | Phone 202-347-5270

www.kff.org | Email Alerts: kff.org/email | facebook.com/KFF | twitter.com/kff

The independent source for health policy research, polling, and news, KFF is a nonprofit organization based in San Francisco, California.