Goal: Write A Proposal About Eradicating An Infectious Disea ✓ Solved

Goal: Write a proposal about eradicating an infectious disea

Goal: Write a proposal about eradicating an infectious disease with focus on human health. Content: WHAT: What is your chosen infectious disease? WHY: Explain the benefits of eradicating or curing this disease; why is it important to eradicate? HOW: Outline a plan explaining how or why this disease can be eradicated or cured; what actions will you take to eradicate this disease? Requirements: 700–900 words; structure your proposal according to WHAT, WHY, HOW; include scientific studies or data to support your argument; less than 20% plagiarism; at least 5 sources.

Paper For Above Instructions

Executive Summary

This proposal advocates for a coordinated global eradication effort against malaria (Plasmodium falciparum and P. vivax), prioritizing human health. Malaria remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in many low- and middle-income countries, disproportionately affecting children and pregnant women. Combining proven interventions (vector control, treatment, surveillance), new tools (vaccines, gene-drive mosquitoes), and strengthened health systems creates a feasible pathway toward eradication. This plan synthesizes evidence on disease burden, the public health and economic benefits of eradication, and a pragmatic multi-phase strategy with measurable milestones (WHO, 2022; Feachem et al., 2010).

WHAT: Chosen Infectious Disease

Target disease: Malaria caused primarily by Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax, transmitted by Anopheles mosquitoes. In 2022, there were an estimated several hundred million clinical cases and over 600,000 deaths, most among children under five in sub-Saharan Africa (WHO, 2022). Malaria’s seasonal and endemic transmission in many regions, along with persistent hotspots and cross-border transmission, make it a prime candidate for an eradication initiative that integrates local elimination with global coordination.

WHY: Benefits of Eradication

Public health benefits: Eradicating malaria would avert hundreds of thousands of deaths annually and greatly reduce severe disease, anemia, and pregnancy complications (WHO, 2022). The health system benefits include reduced hospital burden and reallocation of resources to other priorities.

Economic and social benefits: Malaria imposes large economic costs on families, communities, and national economies through lost productivity, healthcare spending, and impaired cognitive development in children (Sachs & Malaney, 2002). Economic modeling indicates that elimination and eradication produce substantial long-term benefits by enhancing growth and educational attainment (Feachem et al., 2010).

Feasibility precedent: Successful eradication of smallpox and near-eradication of polio demonstrate that coordinated global campaigns, persistent surveillance, and vaccine-driven strategies can succeed (WHO, 1980; WHO GPEI). Modern tools—effective insecticide-treated nets (ITNs), artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs), vaccines, and potential genetic control—expand feasibility compared with past eras (Alonso et al., 2011).

HOW: Strategic Plan to Eradicate Malaria

Principles and phased approach

The eradication strategy follows three overlapping phases: Intensify (0–5 years), Consolidate (5–15 years), and Global Elimination (15–30 years). Core principles are evidence-driven targeting, equity (reaching high-burden and remote populations), sustainability, and rigorous monitoring. Country-led programs with regional coordination will be central, supported by international financing and technical assistance (Feachem et al., 2010; WHO GTS, 2015).

1. Strengthen surveillance and case management

Action: Universal access to rapid diagnostic testing (RDTs), prompt treatment with ACTs, routine case reporting in near–real time, and reactive case detection in elimination settings. RDT expansion and digital reporting platforms will reduce diagnostic delays and identify transmission foci for targeted response (WHO, 2022).

2. Scale proven vector control

Action: Maintain high coverage of ITNs and indoor residual spraying where effective, monitor insecticide resistance, and rotate chemicals or deploy novel formulations. Integrate environmental management and community engagement to reduce breeding sites. These interventions are essential to reduce transmission intensity while other tools mature (Feachem et al., 2010).

3. Deploy vaccines and chemoprevention strategically

Action: Roll out WHO-recommended RTS,S in high-burden settings and accelerate deployment of R21/Matrix-M and next-generation vaccines as evidence accumulates (RTS,S Clinical Trials Partnership, 2015; Datoo et al., 2021). Use seasonal malaria chemoprevention (SMC) and intermittent preventive treatment in pregnancy (IPTp) to protect vulnerable groups during scale-up.

4. Introduce and evaluate genetic vector control

Action: Support phased, cautious testing of gene-drive constructs (e.g., doublesex-targeting drives) in controlled environments, with robust ecological risk assessment, regulatory frameworks, and community consent (Kyrou et al., 2018). Gene drives could provide a durable, area-wide reduction in vectorial capacity, particularly where conventional control struggles.

5. Mass drug administration and targeted elimination campaigns

Action: Use targeted mass drug administration (MDA) in identified hotspots to interrupt transmission, coupled with high-coverage testing and vector control. MDA should follow WHO guidance and modeling evidence, be accompanied by robust monitoring, and be used selectively where benefits outweigh risks (Newby et al., 2015).

6. Research, innovation, and capacity building

Action: Fund operational research to optimize intervention mixes, develop new antimalarials and vaccines, study resistance dynamics, and refine surveillance methods. Invest in local manufacturing, workforce training, and laboratory capacity to ensure sustainable program ownership (Alonso et al., 2011).

7. Financing, governance, and cross-border coordination

Action: Establish an international malaria eradication fund and governance structure to incentivize countries, finance research and delivery, and coordinate cross-border responses. Align with existing global health architecture and ensure predictable multi-year financing to avoid program disruptions (WHO GTS, 2015).

Risks, Mitigation, and Ethical Considerations

Risks: Insecticide and drug resistance, ecological uncertainties related to gene drives, operational challenges, and financing shortfalls. Mitigation: resistance monitoring and rotating tools, phased gene-drive evaluation with strong governance and community engagement, contingency financing, and adaptive management. Ethical considerations must center on informed consent, equitable access, and transparent decision-making (Kyrou et al., 2018).

Conclusion

Eradicating malaria is a scientifically plausible and ethically compelling goal with enormous public health and economic benefits. Combining established interventions with innovative technologies, rigorous surveillance, and sustainable financing can transition the world from control to elimination and ultimately eradication. The plan outlined provides a phased, evidence-based, and ethically grounded pathway toward a malaria-free future.

References

  1. World Health Organization. World malaria report 2022. Geneva: WHO; 2022. Available from: https://www.who.int/teams/global-malaria-programme/reports
  2. Feachem RG, Phillips AA, Hwang J, et al. Shrinking the malaria map: progress and prospects. Lancet. 2010;376(9752):1566–1578. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(10)61270-2
  3. RTS,S Clinical Trials Partnership. Efficacy and safety of RTS,S/AS01 malaria vaccine with or without booster dose in young African children: final results of a phase 3 trial. Lancet. 2015;386(9988):31–45. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(15)60721-8
  4. Datoo MS, Natama HM, Somé A, et al. Efficacy of R21/Matrix-M vaccine against clinical malaria in children. Lancet. 2021;397(10287):1809–1818. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(21)00943-0
  5. Kyrou K, Hammond AM, Galizi R, et al. A CRISPR–Cas9 gene drive targeting doublesex causes complete population suppression in caged Anopheles gambiae. Nat Biotechnol. 2018;36:1062–1066. doi:10.1038/nbt.4245
  6. Newby G, Hwang J, Koita K, et al. Review: Mass drug administration for malaria control and elimination: past, present, and future. Lancet Infect Dis. 2015;15(4):516–532. doi:10.1016/S1473-3099(14)70833-1
  7. Sachs JD, Malaney P. The economic and social burden of malaria. Nature. 2002;415:680–685. doi:10.1038/415680a
  8. World Health Organization. Global technical strategy for malaria 2016–2030. Geneva: WHO; 2015. Available from: https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241564991
  9. Alonso PL, Brown G, Arevalo-Herrera M, et al. A research agenda to underpin malaria eradication. PLoS Med. 2011;8(1):e1000406. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1000406
  10. World Health Organization. Smallpox eradication: report of the global commission for the certification of smallpox eradication. Geneva: WHO; 1980. Available from: https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/39205

Related Assignments