Five Minutes | Exclusive Malaria Interviews – Details, episodes & analysis

Long-lasting insecticidal bednets, or LLINs for short, are an integral part of the global effort to fight malaria, with the WHO recommending that everyone, all 3.4 billion people, at risk of malaria should have access to one.

But how effective are they? To try and understand how bednets are being used in the field, a team of researchers led by Paul Krezanoski of the University of California have developed the so-called SmartNet, a remote bednet monitor.

I speak to Paul about the unreliable mechanisms of monitoring bednet use and the technology behind the SmartNet.

When testing for malaria, there are two primary options: lab-based diagnosis and RTDs, Rapid Diagnostic Tests. There are pros and cons with each.

Lab-based diagnosis, whilst accurate, require expert training and a well-equipped lab, which may not be available in low-resource settings. RTDs, whilst portable and inexpensive, are not always accurate, reporting false positives and false negatives.

But both of these methods require a blood sample from the patient. This in itself poses many risks; bruising, swelling and even infection.

One of the new methods of malaria diagnosis in development does not require a blood sample - the so-called Matiscope by Brian Gitta, a Ugandan inventor.

Hello, I’m Thomas Locke and this is Five Minutes, the podcast that brings you closer to the people fighting malaria.

Today I’m joined by Dr Mark Amos to discuss the accuracy of malaria testing.

How accurate are Rapid Diagnostic Tests, or RTDs, tools that are becoming increasing popular? And how do they compare to traditional lab testing?

This is Five Minutes with Dr Mark Amos.

Hello, I’m Thomas Locke and this is Five Minutes, the podcast that brings you closer to the people fighting malaria.

In the final episode of 2018, I’m pleased to share this interview with Penny Mordaunt.

She’s the Secretary of State for International Development. Its aim is to build a safer and more prosperous world by tackling the global challenges of our time, including malaria.

Hello, I’m Thomas Locke and this is Five Minutes, the podcast that brings you closer to the people fighting malaria.

Target Malaria is a consortium of researchers using 'gene drives' to help eliminate malaria. 

In this podcast, I speak with Dr Alekos Simoni, one of their researchers based at Imperial College London.

Hello, I’m Thomas Locke and this is Five Minutes, the podcast that brings you closer to the people fighting malaria. Today, I’m joined by Jeremy Lefroy MP, the Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Malaria and NTDs. Political attitudes are vital to the success of malaria elimination efforts and his responsibility is to inform other Parliamentarians about the disease. Today’s a good time to speak because the group’s annual report was released earlier this week.

I’m joined by Lukyn Gedge who is coordinating the Microbide Bucket Challenge in India. Her team is testing the efficacy of a new biodegradable larvicide that can kill mosquitos, releasing carbon dioxide and water into the atmosphere. This is Five Minutes with Lukyn Gedge.

Hello, I’m Thomas Locke and this is Five Minutes, the podcast that brings you closer to the people fighting malaria. Today, I’m joined by Mary Skelly, the CEO of Microbide, a chemical company based in Ireland. Her team is developing a biodegradable insecticide for the control of mosquitoes. It’s currently undergoing so-called 'bucket trials' in India. This is Five Minutes with Mary Skelly.

I’m joined by Joan Nalubega, the Founder of Uganics. Her company makes and sells mosquito-repellent soap. It’s received worldwide attention after Reuters shared Joan’s story online. This is Five Minutes with Joan Nalubega.

To kickstart Series 2 of Five Minute, I’m joined by Stella Murumba, a Kenyan journalist. She’s been involved in an investigation into substandard antimalarial drugs. Her journalism has resulted in the Kenyan Health Ministry to recall Duo-Cotecxin, a commonly used antimalarial.