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Theme Issue on Malaria
A Call for Papers
Catherine D. DeAngelis, MD, MPH;
Gianna Zuccotti, MD, MPH
JAMA. 2006;296:1289.
Malaria is an ancient disease, with descriptions of a disease resembling malaria that date back more than 4000 years.1 There have been many advances in malaria research, including the discovery of the malaria parasite in 1880 by Laveran, for which he was awarded the Nobel Prize in 19041; the control of mosquitoes responsible for disease transmission in the early part of the 20th century; the discovery of the antimalarial drug, chloroquine, in 1934 by Andersag; the use of dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) as an insecticidal agent beginning in 1939 that was followed by the use of less toxic insecticides1; and the discovery and use of other antimalarial drugs and drug combinations, including sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine, mefloquine, atovaquone-proguanic, quinine, and doxycycline.2
Despite these advances, more than a million individuals, mostly children, die every year from malaria and approximately 3 billion people in 107 countries or territories are at risk.3 More than 80% of deaths from malaria occur in Africa, 15% in Asia and Eastern Europe, and only a small fraction in the Americas.3
The goal of the Roll Back Malaria Initiative4 launched in 1998 by the World Health Organization (WHO), United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the United Nation's Development Programme (UNDP), and the World Bank is to decrease mortality due to malaria by half by 2010 and again by 2015. Obviously, this initiative will require a great deal of effort and financing to achieve its goals.
In recognition of the global importance of malaria, JAMA will publish a theme issue on this topic in May 2007. We invite authors to submit original research (including randomized clinical trials, high-quality observational studies), as well as systematic reviews, scholarly commentaries, and special communications addressing malaria. Reports of basic science and translational research studies that provide insight into the underlying mechanisms of malarial infections and treatment are also welcome.
Topics include prevention interventions, improved methods of detection, therapeutic interventions, and ethical issues. Areas of interest include diagnosis and management of malaria in individuals throughout the world, especially vulnerable populations; ethical issues involved in clinical trials; and successful public health interventions for the prevention, diagnosis, and management of malaria.
Authors should consult the JAMA Instructions for Authors for guidelines on manuscript submission and preparation.5 Manuscripts received before December 15, 2006, will have the best chance of consideration for publication in the theme issue on malaria.
Our goal for publication of a JAMA theme issue on malaria is to stimulate authors to report their research and to enable clinicians, public health officers, and government officials to gain insight into malaria so that the Roll Back Malaria campaign will be a success and malaria will be contained or even eradicated in the next generation.
AUTHOR INFORMATION
Financial Disclosures: None reported.
Editorials represent the opinions of the authors and JAMA and not those of the American Medical Association.
Author Affiliations: Dr DeAngelis is Editor in Chief (cathy.deangelis{at}jama-archives.org) and Dr Zuccotti is Contributing Editor, JAMA.
REFERENCES
1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Malaria: the history of malaria, an ancient disease. http://www.cdc.gov/malaria/history/index.htm. Accessed August 14, 2006.
2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Malaria: treatment. http://www.cdc.gov/malaria/diagnosis_treatment/treatment.htm. Accessed August 14, 2006.3. World Health Organization and UNICEF. World Malaria Report 2005. http://www.rbm.who.int/wmr2005/. Accessed August 14, 2006.4. Nabarro DN, Taylor EM. The "roll back malaria" campaign. Science. 1998;280:2067-2068.
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5. JAMA Instructions for Authors. http://jama.ama-assn.org/misc/ifora.dtl. Accessed August 14, 2006.
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