The Gambian Ministry of Health and the Medical Research Council Unit, The Gambia, have been awarded the Edinburgh Prize for Global Health Impact for their pioneering work demonstrating the effectiveness of insecticide-treated bed nets in reducing malaria-related illness and deaths.
The intervention reduced overall mortality among children aged one to four by 63 per cent and malaria-specific mortality by 70 per cent, providing crucial evidence for the widespread adoption of insecticide-treated nets as a major malaria-control measure.
Landmark study
Malaria remains one of the world’s major public health challenges, with young children in sub-Saharan Africa among those at greatest risk of severe disease and death.
In a landmark study published in The Lancet in 1991, researchers worked with communities in rural Gambia to introduce insecticide-treated bed nets through an established primary healthcare programme.
The study also showed that the intervention was practical to implement. Treating the nets took less than a week and was often completed within two days, with the nets remaining effective throughout the malaria transmission season.
The findings helped establish insecticide-treated bed nets as an effective and scalable approach to malaria control, contributing to their widespread international adoption and subsequent endorsement by the World Health Organization.
Collaborative approach
The Hon. Minister of Health, Dr Ahmadou Lamin Samateh, and Professor Umberto d’Alessandro of MRC The Gambia received the prize at the Health is Global Symposium, as part of celebrations marking 300 years of Edinburgh Medical School.
The award reflects the collaborative nature of global health research, recognising the contribution of both scientific institutions and national health authorities to achieving lasting improvements in health.