Masters students

Student Kounoumi Sara MEDEKON

Kounoumi Sara MEDEKON 
Home country: Benin Republic
Email: MDKKOU001@myuct.ac.za

Proposed malaria research
Sub-national tailoring of interventions for malaria elimination in Benin: a mathematical modelling approach.

Malaria has been a significant public health challenge in Benin republic, with a high incidence rate and a substantial socio-economic burden. In light of the WHO's Global Technical Strategy for Malaria 2016–2030, which targets malaria elimination in at least 30 countries by 2030, and the National Malaria Control Program (NMCP) of Benin’s goal to eliminate malaria by the same year, this research aims to support the NMCP using mathematical modelling to evaluate and optimize malaria interventions.

The study plans to:

  • complete and publish the analytical manuscript on assessing the impact of existing malaria interventions on malaria prevalence and incidence in northern Benin.
  • assess the feasibility of malaria elimination in Benin's 12 regions by evaluating the impact of key interventions, including ITNs, IRS, SMC, ACT treatment, and IPTp. A 12-patch metapopulation model will be used, where each region will be treated independently due to high transmission levels across the country.
  • conduct a comprehensive cost analysis to estimate the total financial investment required for malaria elimination in Benin under the current deployment of interventions.
  • prioritize cost-effective malaria interventions under budget constraints. The goal is to identify strategies that offer the greatest reduction in malaria burden for the lowest cost, thereby supporting optimal resource allocation and guiding the NMCP in making evidence-based decisions within a limited budget.
  • develop an interface with R software which will be useful to the NMCP for future decision making.
Student Mussagy Mahomed

Mussagy Mahomed
Home country: Mozambique
Email: MHMMUS013@my.utc.ac.za 


Proposed malaria research
Geospatial and mathematical dynamic modelling analysis of malaria transmission and simulation of potential areas risk of the disease in Mozambique: under climate change scenarios.

Study will be conducted, using secondary data from demographic and health surveys and routine surveillance systems that contain key malaria indicators and population projections. Geospatial and Mathematical modelling is proposed to analyse the spread of malaria, considering heterogeneous characteristics, climate change and human mobility. Mathematical modelling analysis will be performed, and numerical simulations will be obtained for optimization of several cost-effective interventions in different scenarios using a stratified risk map of malaria transmission.

Interests:
Geospatial, mathematical, and economic-epidemiological modelling of infectious disease, dynamics in complex system.

Student Thabo Bogopa

Thabo Bogopa 
Home country: Botswana             
Email: BGPTHA001@myuct.ac.za

Proposed malaria research
The aim of my research is to;

To model the malaria interventions in each of the malaria endemic districts in Botswana to estimate the time to elimination of malaria in each of the district.
To model factors that could impede the elimination of Plasmodium falciparum malaria in Botswana
To model factors for the re-introduction of Plasmodium falciparum once elimination has been achieved in Botswana.