Severe Malaria Africa – A consortium for Research and Trials (SMAART)

Despite the scaling up of control measures, malaria, and life-threatening (severe) malaria, remain a common cause of hospital admission in children in large parts of sub-Saharan Africa. About 90% of the world’s malaria infections and deaths occur in sub-Saharan Africa and it is almost entirely children who die from it. Few of these children will be cared for in an intensive care ward, so management relies upon simple treatments to tackle complications, alongside injectable antimalarial drugs. Despite this, at least one in 10 children with severe malaria dies.

We have brought together a consortium of world leaders in severe malaria and experts in clinical trials to address this challenge and improve outcomes. We have identified gaps in current practice and understanding of the disease in Africa and drugs or interventions that we aim to investigate over the next four years using observational studies and clinical trials.

Our findings will improve our understanding of malaria and help to improve management of the disease for children in sub-Saharan Africa.