The Center for Applied Malaria Research and Evaluation (CAMRE) generates evidence to improve malaria prevention, treatment and program delivery. Working with national malaria programs, research institutions and implementation partners, we evaluate interventions, strengthen surveillance and measurement, and assess effectiveness, cost-effectiveness and implementation under real-world conditions.
Ongoing Research Projects
SPEED UP Evaluating Spatial Emanators in Zambia and Ethiopia
- Project: SPEED-UP
- Status: Ongoing
- Project period: March 18, 2026–December 31, 2027
- Locations: Zambia and Ethiopia
- Lead institution: Tulane University
- Partners: Innovative Vector Control Consortium (IVCC), Akros Inc., Jimma University and national malaria programs
SPEED-UP is a multi-country implementation and evaluation project led by Tulane University to evaluate spatial emanators for malaria control under real-world conditions. In Zambia and Ethiopia, the project combines malaria prevalence and household surveys, routine surveillance and coverage analysis, 12-month product durability monitoring, and entomological studies, including mosquito collections and bioefficacy testing. Findings will inform national decisions and global policy on effectiveness, cost-effectiveness, coverage, durability, acceptability and programmatic use.
SENSE Statistical and Economic Evaluation Support
Full project title: Statistical and Economic Evaluation Support for the SENSE Trial
Trial: Spatial Emanators / Indoor Residual Spraying Evaluation (SENSE)
- Status: Ongoing
- Project period: July 1, 2026–June 30, 2028
- Location: Uganda
- Sponsor and partner: Pilgrim Africa
- CAMRE investigators: Ruth Ashton and Joshua Yukich
SENSE is a three-arm cluster-randomized malaria trial sponsored by Pilgrim Africa. CAMRE provides independent statistical and health-economic support, including randomization, analysis planning, primary endpoint analysis, costing and cost-effectiveness analysis.
Completed research projects
The projects below have ended. This portfolio includes research undertaken by CAMRE faculty before the center was established in 2013.
- Funder: PMI
- Project period: 2020–2025
- Locations: Multi-country
CAMRE contributed to a multidisciplinary partnership that generated evidence on malaria control and elimination, identified priority policy and implementation gaps, and communicated findings to support program decisions.
PMI Measure Malaria Associate Award
- Funder: PMI
- Project period: 2019–2025
- Locations: Multi-country
CAMRE supported malaria information systems and capacity for surveillance, monitoring and evaluation in PMI-supported countries. The team focused on methods, tools and approaches to address malaria health information challenges.
MACEPA IV Advancing Subnational Tailoring and Impact
- Funder: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation via PATH
- Project period: 2021–2024
- Locations: Zambia and Senegal
CAMRE supported malaria surveillance, intervention delivery and the use of data for subnational tailoring in Zambia and Senegal. The team developed and implemented priority data collection and analyses to inform national policy and malaria control and elimination practice.
Evaluation of Attractive Targeted Sugar Baits against Malaria
- Funder: Innovative Vector Control Consortium, via the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
- Project period: 2018–2024
- Locations: Zambia
CAMRE evaluated attractive targeted sugar baits in a cluster-randomized trial in Zambia, in collaboration with PATH-MACEPA. The Zambia study formed part of a multi-country evaluation with trial sites in Kenya and Mali.
Strengthening Malaria Monitoring and Evaluation Systems (SMMES) in Ethiopia
- Funder: USAID-Ethiopia
- Project period: 2014–2022
- Locations: Ethiopia
CAMRE supported malaria epidemic detection and provided technical assistance for malaria prevention and control in collaboration with the Addis Continental Institute of Public Health and the President’s Malaria Initiative. An extension supported targeted mass drug administration and primaquine studies.
New Nets Cost and Cost Effectiveness of Next Generation Insecticide Treated Nets
- Funder: PATH
- Project period: 2019–2021
- Locations: Global
In collaboration with PATH, CAMRE led economic research on the cost and cost-effectiveness of next-generation long-lasting insecticide-treated nets.
- Funder: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
- Project period: 2015–2020
- Locations: Haiti and the Dominican Republic
CAMRE contributed to the Malaria Zero consortium’s work in Haiti and the Dominican Republic, leading operational research and evaluating interventions intended to interrupt malaria transmission in Haiti.
Malaria Elimination in Zambia (MACEPA II and III)
- Funder: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation via PATH
- Project period: 2014–2020
- Locations: Zambia
CAMRE evaluated mass drug administration with dihydroartemisinin–piperaquine in Southern Province, Zambia, using a cluster-randomized controlled trial. Embedded studies examined intervention coverage, barriers to participation, cost-effectiveness, adherence, parasite clearance and acceptability.
Economic and Social Evaluation of Push Pull Vector Control Systems
- Funder: Swiss Tropical Institute and IVCC
- Project period: 2018–2019
- Locations: Kenya and Tanzania
This project examined the cost-effectiveness, willingness to pay and social acceptability of push-pull systems for malaria vector control in Kenya and Tanzania.
- Funder: USAID
- Project period: 2014–2019
- Locations: Global
CAMRE contributed to the development and deployment of existing and new malaria vector control interventions as a partner in the USAID-funded VectorWorks consortium.
- Funder: USAID
- Project period: 2014–2019
- Locations: Multi-country
CAMRE supported the President’s Malaria Initiative in malaria monitoring, surveillance and program evaluation across Africa.
International Center for Excellence in Malaria Research (ICEMR)
- Funder: NIH
- Project period: 2010–2017
- Locations: Senegal, Gambia, Mali
This research assessed malaria transmission, vector dynamics, parasite genetic diversity, prevention and control at sites in The Gambia, Mali and Senegal.
MACEPA I Malaria Monitoring Evaluation and Operational Research
- Funder: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation via PATH
- Project period: 2010–2013
- Locations: Zambia, Ethiopia, Tanzania and Senegal
CAMRE supported malaria monitoring, evaluation and operational research, including transmission measurement and modeling, intervention coverage, mass screening and treatment evaluation, national program impact evaluation, and capacity development.
Ethiopia Malaria Surveillance (Ethiopia Associate Award)
- Funder: USAID-Ethiopia
- Project period: September 2009–October 2013
- Locations: Ethiopia
CAMRE helped develop SMS-based malaria reporting and epidemic surveillance systems in Ethiopia, supported malaria impact evaluation, strengthened local capacity to record and report epidemics, and investigated travel-related malaria risk.
Lives Saved Tool (LiST) Modeling for the Child Health Epidemiology Reference Group
- Funder: BMGF via UNICEF USA Fund
- Project period: June 2008–March 2013
This project reviewed, developed and maintained estimates of the effects of malaria interventions on mortality in Africa for use in the Lives Saved Tool.
Improving Malaria Diagnostics (IMAD) sub-agreement
- Funder: USAID
- Project period: September 2011–April 2013
- Locations: Ghana and Benin
CAMRE assessed malaria diagnostic capacity and quality in Ghana and Benin through facility-based data collection, training, survey instrument development and analysis.
Interpersonal Communication to Improve Insecticide Treated Net Use
- Funder: CDC- R18CK000102-01
- Project period: October 2007–September 2011
- Locations: Zambia
CAMRE evaluated a village-based interpersonal communication intervention to increase insecticide-treated net use among households that already owned nets in Luangwa District, Zambia. The study also assessed costs and factors associated with net use.
Planning Malaria Training in Zambia
- Funder: NIH Fogarty International Center- D71TW008280-01
- Project period: July 2009–June 2010
- Locations: Zambia
This project planned an integrated malaria research training program for Zambian scientists and health professionals.
Impact Evaluation of Indoor Residual Spray Campaign in Eritrea
- Funder: World Bank
- Project period: September 2009–October 2010
- Locations: Eritrea
CAMRE supported the design and implementation of an indoor residual spraying impact evaluation, including data collection training, survey instruments, data preparation and analysis.
Measuring Malaria Transmission in Haiti
- Funder: USAID-Haiti
- Project period: August 2006–March 2007
- Locations: Haiti
This study collected population-based data on malaria burden in Haiti’s Artibonite Valley to guide control strategies and provide a basis for measuring progress.