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Submitted URL: https://gcgh.grandchallenges.org/challenge/new-approaches-integrating-molecular-surveillance-malaria-control-programs
Effective URL: https://gcgh.grandchallenges.org/challenge/new-approaches-integrating-molecular-surveillance-malaria-control-programs-round-26
Submission: On March 31 via api from CO — Scanned from DE
Effective URL: https://gcgh.grandchallenges.org/challenge/new-approaches-integrating-molecular-surveillance-malaria-control-programs-round-26
Submission: On March 31 via api from CO — Scanned from DE
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NEW APPROACHES TO INTEGRATING MOLECULAR SURVEILLANCE INTO MALARIA CONTROL
PROGRAMS (ROUND 26)
THE OPPORTUNITY
At the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, we believe that malaria eradication
within a generation is possible. We recognize that in order to achieve this,
National Malaria Control Programs (NMCPs) must be empowered to use timely,
high-quality data to inform their malaria strategic planning, decision-making,
program implementation, and evaluation. As we work to sustain the decline in
incidence rates that have marked the last fifteen years of malaria control, this
concept of data-to-action has never been more important.
Our vision for data-to-action, recently endorsed by WHO’s Malaria Policy
Advisory Committee (MPAC), is one of stratification and sub-national tailoring.
In the first step, multiple data sources – from geospatial to epidemiological
data – are used to define district-level strata within a country. Next,
additional data types are used as the input to mathematical models that output
the optimal package of interventions that result in maximum malaria burden
reduction within a given resource envelope. The success of stratification and
sub-national tailoring is highly dependent on the underlying data, which may not
always be complete, high-quality, and / or timely. We are therefore exploring
new data streams that might improve our understanding of factors driving changes
in malaria epidemiology or be used to optimize the choice of interventions
modelled. One of these new data streams is serological, genetic, and / or
genomic data which arises from malaria molecular surveillance.
Malaria Molecular Surveillance (MMS) is an umbrella term which describes the use
of molecular biology approaches – from serology to genotyping to whole genome
sequencing (WGS) – to interrogate parasite and / or vector populations in order
to derive epidemiologically actionable information. MMS does not include
research-oriented genetic and genomic investigations, such as studies using
genomics to investigate parasite or mosquito biology. Rather, the emphasis is on
analyses that can directly influence malaria control policy and practice. In
addition to the laboratory techniques used, MMS also includes the bioinformatics
tools and resources necessary to process, interpret, and share the resulting
data.
THE CHALLENGE
Initial work in the MMS space focused on methods development and
proof-of-concept pilot studies. Now, the tools and analyses are maturing, the
infrastructure is in place, and the time-to-result is much shorter, meaning that
MMS is beginning to influence program planning and execution. In elimination
settings, genetics has been deployed in focused investigations of malaria
importations. In higher-burden settings, MMS is being used to visualize the
spatio-temporal spread of antimalarial drug resistance markers, influencing
treatment guidelines, and to track the effect of different interventions on
parasite genetic diversity as a surrogate measure of transmission intensity.
In June 2019, a WHO Technical Consultation on the role of parasite and vector
genetic and genomic data in malaria surveillance (workshop report), stakeholders
from MMS community – both on the research and programmatic sides – gathered with
the goal of identifying those MMS use cases for which sufficient evidence exists
to recommend routine use for malaria control and elimination, and those for
which more upstream research is needed in order to generate a broader evidence
base for future recommendations.
The list of use cases that are ready or near ready (marked with an asterisk*)
for programmatic deployment includes:
* Detect drug resistance: monitor the prevalence/frequency of molecular markers
of drug resistance to inform intervention selection, treatment guidelines,
and surveillance
* Detect hrp2/3 deletions: monitor the prevalence/frequency of hrp2/3 deletion
affecting RDT efficacy to inform diagnostic selection
* Assess drug resistance gene flow: determine the origins of drug resistance
markers and monitor their spread within/among regions and parasite
populations to inform containment strategies and regional policies around
intervention selection, treatment guidelines, and surveillance*
* Predict emerging resistance: detect signatures of positive selection
suggesting emerging resistance to inform intervention selection, treatment
guidelines, and surveillance*
* Identify local transmission: identify focal areas of high transmission and
clusters of infections to inform resource deployment*
* Distinguish local and imported cases: in elimination settings, classify cases
as imported or otherwise for case investigation and elimination
certification*
* Reconstruct transmission chains: elucidate contributing factors (e.g.
seasonality, migrants, asymptomatic cases, and highly infectious individuals)
to ongoing transmission patterns to inform intervention selection, resource
deployment, surveillance, and case investigation*
* Determine connectivity of parasite populations: assess degree to which
transmission is linked among regions due to linked parasite populations to
inform program planning and resource deployment*
* Survey for allelic variation in target sites for gene drive: determine
whether SNPs that would prevent CRISPR site recognition exist in wild
populations to optimize gene drive release planning*
As MMS transitions from proof-of-concept work in academic institutions to
operational reality in NMCPs, Ministries of Health, and National Public Health
Institutes, the challenge lies in conducting the work in a way that engages
country programs and malaria decision-makers and that empowers them to
understand and use their data actively for programmatic decision-making.
The purpose of this call is therefore to identify new and innovative approaches
to integrating malaria molecular surveillance into malaria surveillance and
programmatic decision-making in malaria endemic countries.
What we are looking for:
We are looking for innovative proposals that will use MMS data to enable NMCPs
to inform their national and sub-national surveillance efforts, national
strategic planning, and/or intervention implementation. These may include
proposals that: create or expand laboratory, bioinformatics, and data
interpretation capacity within NMCPs or at institutions closely affiliated with
an NMCP; create or implement tools for communicating and sharing parasite and/or
vector molecular surveillance data; and/or build relationships between groups
with MMS capacity and NMCP partners. Proposals should target the use cases
identified above that are ready or near-to-ready for programmatic deployment. We
do not want respondents to be generating MMS data for research purposes; rather,
the intent of this call is to support the application of MMS approaches to
routine malaria surveillance and planning within NMCPs, Ministries of Health, or
similar organizations.
While we welcome respondents from around the world, we are particularly
interested in proposals from respondents working in high-burden malaria
settings. All proposals must include a principal investigator or co-investigator
from a malaria-endemic country.
Winning proposals should:
* Explain the rationale for and potential benefits of using MMS data in their
setting
* Address one or more of the use cases outlined in the Challenge section above
* Include representation from the NMCP, Ministry of Health (MOH)
representation, government agency or healthcare provider responsible for
malaria control in the country / region
* Describe how MMS information arising from the project will be shared with the
NMCP, MOH and other key stakeholders
A few examples of work that would be considered for funding:
* Implementing or scaling-up a laboratory assay for hrp2/3 deletion and / or
antimalarial drug resistance marker surveillance in partnership with an NMCP
* Developing a web interface or reporting tool for communicating molecular data
to stakeholders who do not have genomics / bioinformatics experience
* Creating a bioinformatics workflow for MMS data that goes from fastq file to
a readable report summarizing the analysis results in a user-friendly way
* Developing and implementing a training program to familiarize NMCP staff with
the use and interpretation of MMS data
We will not consider funding for:
* Proposals that do not include an investigator from a malaria-endemic country
* Proposals that do not include an explicit partnership with the NMCP, MOH or
other authority responsible for malaria surveillance and control in the
country / region
* Proposals that do not demonstrate how the results will immediately influence
malaria decision-making by the relevant NMCP, MOH or other authority
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InitiativeGrand Challenges Explorations
Date OpenOct 19, 2020, 6:00 am PDT
Date ClosedDec 02, 2020, 11:30 am PST
AWARDED GRANTS
* Molecular Surveillance of P. falciparum Histidine Rich Protein 2/3 (pfhrp2/3)
Deletions in the Context of Transmission Intensity
* Integrating Molecular Surveillance into the Malaria Control Program in Papua
New Guinea
* Implementation of an Integrated Approach of a SNP-Based Molecular Barcode
* Genomic Epidemiology of Malaria in a Gold Mining Area in Pará, Brazil
* Integrating Molecular Surveillance for P. falciparum Elimination in Brazil
See All Awarded and Related Grants
HISTORY OF THE CHALLENGE
* GCE Round 26 - Rules and Guidelines
* Malaria Surveillance RFP - English
* Malaria Surveillance RFP - Chinese
* Malaria Surveillance RFP - French
* Malaria Surveillance RFP - Korean
* Malaria Surveillance RFP - Portuguese
* Malaria Surveillance RFP - Spanish
* GCE Round 26 Application Instructions
* GCE Budget Template and Narrative
* Official WHO Malaria Endemic Countries List
* Emerging Technologies Flyer
* FAQs for Grand Challenges Explorations
* Application Guidelines for Grand Challenges Explorations
* Tips for Applicants: English; Chinese; French; Korean; Portuguese; Spanish
GREAT IDEAS COME FROM EVERYWHERE.
SIGN UP FOR EMAIL UPDATES OF THE LATEST GRANT OPPORTUNITIES AND AWARDS.
VIEW THE GRAND CHALLENGES PARTNERSHIP NETWORK
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is part of the Grand Challenges partnership
network. Visit www.grandchallenges.org to view the map of awarded grants across
this network and grant opportunities from partners.
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