Genetic diversity of malaria parasite challenges one size fits all strategies

Despite decades of efforts focused on mosquito eradication, drug therapies, and vaccines, malaria remains hard to beat, especially in Africa.

The World Health Organization’s World Malaria Report 2024 indicates that 11 African countries bear about two thirds of the world’s malaria burden.

A major factor in this persistence is the malaria parasite’s genetic adaptability, according to Abdoulaye Djimdé, president of the Pathogens genomic Diversity Network Africa (PDNA), a pan-African association of researchers.

Djimdé tells SciDev.Net that scientists have identified a critical factor often overlooked in previous approaches, which is the genetic diversity of the malaria parasite.

What is the role of genetic research in malaria control?

Genetic research has revealed that malaria parasites vary significantly across different regions.

Previously, it was assumed that Plasmodium falciparum—the deadliest malaria parasite—was largely uniform across Africa. However, new studies indicate that distinct genetic strains exist in different areas, which could explain why some interventions work better in certain regions than others.

Genetic studies are also critical in tracking the rise of drug-resistant malaria strains.

Historically, resistance was only detected when treatments failed—often at great human cost.

Today, we can identify genetic markers that indicate resistance before widespread treatment failure occurs, allowing for timely policy adjustments.

Similarly, genetic tools are helping researchers assess the effectiveness of the new malaria vaccines. Scientists are monitoring how parasite evolution may impact vaccine efficacy and whether prolonged vaccine use could drive genetic changes in malaria populations.

What is the most important finding you discovered in the genetic diversity of the malaria parasite?

One of the most important findings has been that malaria parasites are genetically different in different parts of the continent. This gave us one of the bases for the notion that when it comes to dealing with malaria, there is no single magic bullet. The one-size-fits-all approach is not the best way forward.

It used to be that you would have blanket guidance from the WHO, so everybody could do the same thing to deal with diseases everywhere on the continent.

The data we generated was instrumental in demonstrating that the parasites in various locations are different. So, we need to take that into account and better tailor different interventions for local epidemiology and the local situation.

This realisation contributed to the body of evidence that helped WHO to shift its approach to issuing malaria guidance based on local data.

What does data-driven malaria control look like?

Recognising the importance of genetic research, the WHO now advocates for sub-national malaria control strategies that focus on localised interventions. Instead of blanket policies, this approach prioritises region-specific strategies informed by genetic data.

Accessing that diversity and breadth of information is vital for public health authorities and those working to develop treatments and vaccines.

This shift has broader benefits beyond malaria. Many of the advances made in malaria genomics have been repurposed for other infectious diseases, including COVID-19.

During the pandemic, African labs that had been focused on malaria quickly pivoted to sequence SARS-CoV-2 genomes, demonstrating the far-reaching impact of genomic research.

What must Africa do to sustain its own public health research?

Despite these breakthroughs, major challenges remain. The demand for genetic research expertise far exceeds current training capacity.

While international funding has supported malaria genomics, long-term sustainability requires greater investment from African governments. We cannot rely indefinitely on external funding to solve our public health challenges.

African governments must prioritise research funding to ensure long-term sustainability.

Increased investment in basic science is crucial.

Many of today’s advancements in disease control stem from fundamental research conducted decades ago. By strengthening scientific infrastructure now, Africa can ensure it is better prepared for future health threats.

What is the path for the next generation of genomic scientists in Africa?

For a long time, research into the parasite’s genetics was led by institutions outside Africa.

Now, with improved local expertise and technology, African scientists are leading the charge to uncover the genetic secrets of malaria.

PDNA, for example, has evolved from an informal network of scientists into a registered non-governmental, non-profit organisation based in Bamako, Mali.

The idea was to work together as African scientists to build trust among ourselves, share samples, and work on the same protocols and the same analysis to improve the impact of the work that each of us had been doing individually.

PDNA now has members from 16 countries across West, Southern, East, and Central Africa, representing multiple cultures and languages to capture the diversity of the epidemiology of the malaria parasite.

It is developing its laboratory to further the use of genomics for a better understanding of diseases in Africa and to train the next generation of scientists and disease control experts in genetic techniques.

Advances in gene sequencing and computational biology have allowed for far more rapid sequencing of genetic materials, which give scientists powerful tools to understand pathogens as they emerge, spread, and evolve.

Public health officials in Africa need to have a better grounding in genomic surveillance to be able to respond more rapidly and effectively to disease outbreaks.