Malaria: Can we ever get rid of it?

The Centre for International Child Health hosts seminar highlighting research to tackle malaria.

Professor Beate Kampmann

On 15th September, the Centre for International Child Health (CICH), held its fourth event within the bi-monthly seminar series dedicated to International Child Health topics (#CICHSeminar). 

Malaria is one of the world's biggest killers. According to UNICEF, in 2015, there were 214 million malaria cases that led to 438,000 deaths. Of these about 80 per cent were children under five years of age. This translates into a daily toll of more than 800 children under age 5.

Today, 3.2 billion (almost half of the world population) are at risk. Our seminar questioned whether we can ever completely get rid of malaria and if so, how and when?

Dr Aubrey Cunnington and Lucy Okell

The event took place at St Mary’s Hospital in Paddington and was chaired by CICH Director, Professor Beate Kampmann and Clinical Senior Lecturer Dr Aubrey Cunnington.  Presentations were heard from Dr Lucy Okell, Lecturer/Royal Society Dorothy Hodgkin Research Fellow within the Faculty of Medicine, who discussed 'Malaria control: progress and projections for the future'. 

Dr Tom Churcher (left), Senior Lecturer within the MRC Centre for Outbreak Analysis and Modelling talked about 'Malaria elimination and the utility of transmission blocking interventions', whilst Dr Tony Nolan (below), Senior Research Fellow within the Faculty of Natural Sciences addressed 'New approaches to vector control'. 

Dr Tony Nolan

Watch the full recording of the talks in the video above or at this link. 

View the photos from the event on Flickr here.

Get involved

The CICH is one of the seven centres within the Institute of Global Health Innovation and facilitates multi-disciplinary research partnerships and educational activities for global child health, joining up existing international child health research activities within the College and beyond.

The seminar series focusses on pertinent issues in global child health and hosts guest speakers on a variety of subjects. The format of the seminar is a series of short presentations with a panel discussion at the end and active audience participation.

The event is open to all and the next one focuses on childhood vaccines and will take place at St Mary’s Hospital in Paddington on 9^th November.  Register now to reserve your place.