The Americas have made progress toward malaria elimination, with initial reductions of Plasmodium falciparum and P. vivax cases; however, this declining trend has not been maintained, with case numbers fluctuating in recent years. Therefore, achieving malaria elimination will require enhanced regional collaboration and coordinated strategies among countries across the Americas. Establishing such a comprehensive collaboration network, however, presents several challenges, particularly regarding the integration, sharing, and standardization of information and data across participating countries and institutions.
Some cases were seen in other regions. In Southeast Asia, disease surveillance has demonstrated that effective information sharing depends not only on technology but also on common reporting standards, reliability of information, and strong communication among governments. In the case of Africa, where molecular surveillance is increasingly supporting malaria control and elimination, sharing genomic and epidemiological data requires stronger partnerships between researchers and National Malaria Control Programmes.
The COVID-19 pandemic in Europe further illustrated the difficulties of achieving data harmonization, particularly when different research groups and institutions use inconsistent metadata standards and reporting frameworks. Additionally, experiences from Asia and Africa emphasized the complexity of interdisciplinary collaboration, highlighting the need for coordination among scientists and public health authorities.
Together, these examples demonstrate that successful malaria interventions depend not only on generating high-quality data but also on establishing sustainable frameworks that support interpretation, and application of information across countries.
Tindana P, et al. Researchers’ perspectives on the integration of molecular and genomic data into malaria elimination programmes in Africa: a qualitative study. Malar J. 2024. Available at: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11658363/
Liverani M, et al. Sharing public health data and information across borders: lessons from Southeast Asia. Global Health. 2018. Available at: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6162912/
Tacconelli E, et al. Challenges of data sharing in European Covid-19 projects: A learning opportunity for advancing pandemic preparedness and response.Lancet Reg Health Eur. 2022. Available at: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9351292/
