Discussion

There is no “one size fits all” intervention for malaria elimination due to the spectrum of available sub-optimal interventions acting at different stages of the parasite life-cycle and the heterogeneous transmission landscape. Every district of every country has its own unique challenges, conditions and solutions. Mathematical modelling is the best available approach for combining the many interacting factors that must be considered. This approach would increase the cost-effectiveness of a national elimination strategy if it were integrated into the national malaria control program. However, mathematical modelling is a relatively new discipline and has yet to reach many of the countries where malaria elimination is being implemented. A project is underway to simultaneously develop bespoke mathematical models for the Asian setting and train a new group of mathematical modelers embedded within their national malaria control programs. These modelers have formed a network where expertise and model programs are shared freely within the group. Through their national modelers, national control programs are able to access the full suite of models developed by the project staff and modify them to answer nationally relevant questions.