UAE, WHO launch database to combat malaria in 18 countries

ABU DHABI / WAM

The Global Institute for Disease Elimination (GLIDE), operating under the supervision of Erth Zayed Philanthropies, has announced a new regional project aimed at supporting efforts to eliminate malaria and prevent its re-establishment in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. The project, focused on national data analysis to understand malaria receptivity and decline in the MENA region, is being implemented under the supervision of the entomology and vector control unit at the World Health Organisation (WHO) Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean, in partnership with the University of Oxford, the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), and the WHO Global Malaria Programme (GMP). The project is fully funded by GLIDE.
Dr Farida Al Hosani, Deputy CEO of GLIDE, told the Emirates News Agency (WAM) that the project currently includes 18 countries and is designed to build a regional electronic database of factors contributing to malaria transmission over the past 100 years. The database will feature detailed maps, environmental data, and statistics related to mosquito breeding sites—particularly focusing on the historical spread and environmental range of Anopheles mosquitoes, the main malaria vector.
Dr Al Hosani said the platform would enhance data sharing, facilitate risk mapping, and strengthen regional capacity to prevent malaria resurgence. It will also support evidence-based interventions, strategic capacity-building, and help countries maintain malaria-free status. The project is also positioned to serve as a key tool in improving the allocation of resources, tailoring interventions to national needs in MENA region, and enhancing policy and strategy frameworks to combat the reintroduction of malaria.
The data system will incorporate a wide array of inputs, including historical and modern entomological surveillance, climatic and environmental variables like temperature, rainfall, and land cover, and vector mapping to identify areas at highest risk.
Dr Al Hosani confirmed that the database is expected to be completed by July 2025, and will span countries in both EMRO and AFRO WHO regions. While most participating countries are currently malaria-free, the risk of re-emergence remains high due to human mobility and the continued presence of Anopheles mosquitoes.
She also revealed plans to expand the platform in the future to include other vector-borne diseases as part of an integrated health surveillance approach.