Dashan Zheng, doctoral student1,Peng Tian, technologist2,Guiyun Yan, professor3,Zurui Lin, doctor in charge2,Hongning Zhou, full senior technologist2,Xiaobo Liu, professor4,Jianheng Chen, masters student1,Qiyong Liu, professor4 5,Hualiang Lin, professor1
1. Joint International Research Laboratory of Environment and Health, Ministry of Education, Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
2. Yunnan International Joint Laboratory of Tropical Infectious Diseases and Yunan Key Laboratory of Insect-borne Infectious Diseases Control of Yunnan Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Puer, Yunnan, China
3. School of Population and Public Health, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA.
4. National Key Laboratory of Intelligent Tracking and Forecasting for Infectious Diseases, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention; WHO Collaborating Centre for Vector Surveillance and Management, Beijing, China
5. School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
Yunnan Province was China’s last region to eliminate indigenous malaria transmission owing to its extensive, porous borders with three malaria endemic countries—Myanmar, Laos, and Vietnam. The province faced immense pressure to control imported cases of malaria, particularly during the early years of China’s reform and opening-up in the 1980s. Moreover, the complex malaria epidemiology, diverse ecological features, multiple vector species, and underdeveloped economic environment presented significant challenges.
Globally, many countries face similar challenges in controlling cross border malaria transmission. Frequent population movement in border areas, inequalities in healthcare resources between neighbouring countries, and the complexity of cross border collaboration make effectively controlling and eliminating malaria difficult for one single country. For instance, countries in the Greater Mekong Subregion have long struggled with imported malaria cases, as labour migration and trade activities exacerbate cross border malaria transmission. Similarly, border regions in Africa, such as those between Kenya and Tanzania, face difficulties in implementing unified and effective interventions owing to differences in malaria control strategies and resource allocation across countries. Tackling cross border malaria transmission is a pressing global priority requiring experiences from countries and regions with successful elimination.
In the 1980s the Chinese government introduced the ambitious goal of elimination of malaria. To achieve this goal, Yunnan province implemented border specific control strategies that incorporated many of the technical measures used throughout China’s malaria elimination efforts from 1980 to the present. These tailored approaches in Yunnan are particularly noteworthy given Yunnan’s unique challenges as a high burden border region characterised by multiple vector species and imported cases, both from travel to malaria endemic areas and cross border mosquito transmission. The successful malaria elimination in Yunnan provides valuable experiences for global malaria control and elimination efforts, especially in bordering areas facing similar cross border challenges. By tackling the complexities of border dynamics and tailoring interventions to local contexts, Yunnan offers insights for how malaria can be eliminated and its reintroduction prevented in areas where the risks are greatest.
For additional information , please refer to the original source https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj-2024-082300