Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39780170›Full record

ArticleMalaria journal2025

A combined school survey and reactive case detection reveals minimal local transmission of malaria in the Highlands Region of Papua New Guinea.

Osama Seidahmed, Serah Kurumop, Elizabeth Wawaga, Melvin Kualawi, Valentine Siba, Sharon Jamea, Yangta Ura, Leo Makita, William Pomat, Manuel W Hetzel

Abstract read
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Article in Malaria journal, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

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0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Impact of Insecticide-Treated Nets onTropical medicine and infectious disease · 2026
    Article
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4 · The record

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PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Osama SeidahmedPapua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research, Goroka, Papua New Guinea. osama.seidahmed@swisstph.ch.
Serah KurumopPapua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research, Goroka, Papua New Guinea.
Elizabeth WawagaPapua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research, Goroka, Papua New Guinea.
Melvin KualawiPapua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research, Goroka, Papua New Guinea.
Valentine SibaPapua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research, Goroka, Papua New Guinea.
Sharon JameaPapua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research, Goroka, Papua New Guinea.
Yangta UraPapua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research, Goroka, Papua New Guinea.
Leo MakitaDepartment of Health, National Malaria Control Program, Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea.
William PomatPapua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research, Goroka, Papua New Guinea.
Manuel W HetzelSwiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Allschwil, Switzerland.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe Highlands of Papua New Guinea are non-endemic for malaria compared to the rest of the country. This study aimed to explore the local transmission of malaria in the Highlands through a cross-sectional school survey coupled with reactive case detection.

methodsBetween July and November 2019, 5575 schoolchildren and 1048 household members were screened for malaria using Rapid Diagnostic Tests, subsequently validated by light microscopy. In addition, an analysis of malaria cases (2017 to 2019) was conducted across 33 health facilities within the catchment areas of the surveyed schools and households.

resultsThirteen individuals were diagnosed with malaria: eleven with Plasmodium falciparum (five schoolchildren, six household members) and two with Plasmodium vivax (one student, one household member); all were aged ten years or older. Malaria prevalence was 0.09% [95% CI 0.03, 0.3] among schoolchildren and 1.7% [95% CI 0.3, 9.1] among household members. Eleven positive individuals (84%) reported recent travel, mainly to lower-altitude endemic areas. Long-Lasting Insecticidal Nets were used by 34.8% [95% CI 28.7, 40.8] of household members. The average annual malaria incidence in the catchment areas was 3.7 cases per 1000 [95% CI 2.6, 5.3] among the general population, while children under 15 years accounted for 19% [95% CI 14, 27] of the positive cases.

conclusionsLocal malaria transmission appears to be minimal in the surveyed Highlands areas. Strengthening surveillance-response system to control imported cases and stop local foci could support malaria elimination in PNG. However, effective operational triggers for reactive case finding remain to be determined.

Indexed as

Malaria, VivaxSchoolsAdolescentAdultChildChild, PreschoolCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHumansIncidenceMalaria, FalciparumMaleMiddle AgedPapua New GuineaPlasmodium falciparumPlasmodium vivaxHighlandsMalariaPapua New GuineaReactive case detectionSchool survey

Identifiers

PMID39780170
PMCPMC11708256

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.