Malaria prevention and control has been a global public health priority, with nearly half the global population at risk of contracting the disease. There were 247 million malaria cases and 619,000 deaths in 2021. In the past two decades, malaria control and prevention activities led to two billion cases and 11.7 million deaths averted globally. The most at-risk populations for contracting malaria and developing severe disease are infants, children below five years of age and people with low immunity, especially pregnant women and persons living with HIV/AIDS in endemic transmission regions .

Gene drive mosquito technology is a new tool being developed for malaria control and elimination in Africa. The idea of releasing GDMs into the environment has led to several concerns, occasioned by the lack of information about potential environmental and human health impacts. An evidence synthesis was conducted through a systematic rapid review to explore the benefits, risks and concerns associated with GDM use in sub-Saharan Africa.

The World Health Organization (WHO) developed the Global Technical Strategy for Malaria (GTSM) to guide malaria control and elimination efforts from 2016 to 2030. The key targets included the reduction of malaria case incidence and mortality by at least 90% by 2030, eliminating Malaria in at least 35 countries by 2030, and preventing the re-establishment of Malaria in all malaria free countries by 2030 [10]. To attain the GTSM targets, more innovative tools and superior approaches to malaria prevention and case management are required.

This evidence brief provides information on the existing tools for malaria incidence reduction and elimination, including the tools’ strengths, limitations, and implementation/ adaptation barriers within the sub-Saharan Africa region.