Member Article

Microsoft boss boosts malaria research at Durham

Three Durham University researchers will share in a grant of almost £10 million from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) to study malaria.

Dr Gerry Killeen, Dr Ulrike Fillinger, and Professor Steve Lindsay from the School of Biological and Biomedical Sciences are involved in a five-year research programme to evaluate existing malaria control methods in urban Africa. Currently, more than one million people die of malaria each year, the vast majority being infants and very young children.

The consortium involved in the research programme, led by the University of Notre Dame, will work closely with partners in Africa and Indonesia.

Dr Gerry Killeen said: “Even though over half the population of Africa will live in towns and cities by 2030, very little is known about malaria transmission in urban Africa and control measures specific to this context remain to be proven. This grant will allow us to provide answers for national malaria control programmes with information on planning and implementing control measures.”

Earlier this year, Dr Killeen’s research suggested that using insecticide-treated bed nets may effectively combat malaria if they are used by population groups not usually targeted by health authorities. The research, published in the open access journal PLoS Medicine, suggested that protecting half of all older children and adults would substantially enhance the protection of the more vulnerable groups, such as younger children and pregnant women.

The BMGF was established in 2000 by Bill Gates and his wife, Melinda, to help fund programmes working to reduce inequality and help people lead healthy, productive lives.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .