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Malaria is one of the world’s oldest and deadliest diseases. Thanks to international efforts to develop and scale up prevention tools and treatments, significant gains have been made over the past few decades in fighting this dangerous disease. But challenges, such as growing drug and insecticide resistance and disruptions from COVID-19, have hampered control efforts. Unfortunately, in 2020, both malaria cases and deaths increased significantly from the prior year—indicating progress against the disease has stalled and underscoring the need for continued research and development of new tools.In recognition of #WorldMalariaDay, test your knowledge of this deadly disease and the innovations being advanced to #EndMalaria:

Interested in more global health innovation news? Every week GHTC scours media reports worldwide to deliver essential global health R&D news and content to your inbox. Sign up now to receive our weekly R&D News Roundup email. On Thursday, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted emergency use authorization to the first COVID-19 test to detect the disease through breath. The InspectIR COVID-19 Breathalyzer is able to identify five volatile organic compounds associated with COVID-19 infection in breath samples and delivers results in less than three minutes. In a study of 2,409 individuals both with and without symptoms, the test had a 99.3 percent specificity rate, which measures the percent of correctly identified negative test samples, and a 91.2 percent sensitivity rate, which measures the percent of correctly identified positive test samples. The breathalyzer device—about the size of a piece of carry-on luggage—will be used in mobile testing sites, hospitals, doctor’s offices, and other locations where samples are both collected and analyzed.An experimental drug halved the death rate among critically ill COVID-19 patients receiving supplemental oxygen and at high risk for serious lung disease and death, the drug’s developer announced last week. Sabizabulin, which works by disrupting the transport of the virus through microtubules in cells, is given in a capsule taken once a day and has no refrigeration requirements. A clinical trial of the drug, the results of which have not yet been published or peer reviewed, was halted early at the recommendation of independent safety monitors after the treatment was shown to drastically reduce deaths among hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Developers plan to meet with the FDA later this month and will be applying for emergency use authorization for sabizabulin.An anti-HIV strategy called vectored immunoprophylaxis—in which an adeno-associated viral (AAV) vector delivers instructions to muscle cells to pump out antibodies that block the virus—showed promising results in a phase 1 clinical trial conducted by the National Institutes of Health. The AAV therapy is able to block HIV’s ability to bind to an immune cell’s receptor that the virus targets before infecting the cell, therefore shutting down the virus’s entry. The phase 1 clinical trial enrolled eight adults with HIV who were on stable antiretroviral therapy for at least three months and found that intramuscular injection of the therapy was safe and well-tolerated. Researchers are continuing to develop this technology, which they say could have wide-ranging clinical implications for preventing or treating HIV and other infections.

A coalition of more than 100 leading global health and research organizations is calling on Congress to provide $250 million in new funding to the US Agency for International Development (USAID) to establish a fund to supercharge global health innovation.In an open letter to congressional appropriators, these organizations urged policymakers to appropriate this dedicated innovation funding to USAID in the fiscal year 2023 State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs spending bill. This new influx of resources, which advocates are calling the Supporting Innovative Global Health Technologies Fund, or SIGHT Fund, would enable USAID to expand its support of research and development (R&D) of products for a range of global health challenges.The letter highlights how USAID has for decades excelled in facilitating R&D of new vaccines, drugs, and other tools as part of its broader global health mission. But it also notes how stagnant budgets and growing needs have squeezed the agency, resulting in a worrisome trend of USAID investment in R&D declining as a proportion of overall global health spending. The signatories make the case that this new dedicated source of R&D funding would reverse this decline and better enable the agency to make bold, forward-looking innovation investments to stock the global health toolbox of tomorrow.The request for an initial appropriation of $250 million for the SIGHT Fund is an amount representing less than 3 percent of current US spending on global health, yet this modest investment could catalyze the development of game-changing tools that could accelerate progress against both emerging and enduring global health challenges—saving US taxpayer dollars, maximizing the impact of programs, and ultimately improving and saving lives around the world. The full text of the open letter can be viewed here and the full list of signatories is below:1,000 Days3rd Stone DesignAdvancing SynergyAmerican Academy of PediatricsAmerican Society of Tropical Medicine and HygieneAVACBay Area Global Health AllianceBEMPU HealthBetter World CampaignBilimetrix s.r.l.BIO Ventures for Global HealthBoston University Social Innovation on Drug Resistance ProgramBridges to DevelopmentBugworksBurnet InstituteCatalysts for ChangeCenter for Global Health InnovationCenter for Innovation in Global Health, Georgetown UniversityChristian Connections for International HealthCoalition for Epidemic Preparedness InnovationsCoalition for Health Research and DevelopmentCONRADConsortium of Universities for Global HealthCORE GroupDeutsche Stiftung WeltbevoelkerungDr Marri Channa Reddy FoundationDrugs for Neglected Diseases initiativeElizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS FoundationEmory UniversityEpiPointeEqualize HealthFINDFREO2 FoundationFriends of the Global Fight Against AIDS, Tuberculosis and MalariaGlobal Antibiotic Research and Development PartnershipGlobal Health CouncilGlobal Health Innovative Technology FundGlobal Health StrategiesGlobal Health Technologies CoalitionGlobal ImpactHarvestPlusHemex HealthIAVIInfectious Diseases Society of AmericaInnovative Vector Control ConsortiumInternational Business & Technical Consultants, Inc.International Partnership for MicrobicidesInternational Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung DiseaseInternational Vaccine InstituteJohns Hopkins Center for Health SecurityKNCV Tuberculosis FoundationLinux Foundation Public HealthLittle Sparrow Technologies, Inc.Lucky Iron FishMakerere University School of Public HealthManagement Sciences for HealthMbarara University of Science and TechnologyMedical IMPACTMedicines for Malaria VentureModula S Inc.MRIGlobalMustERONE CampaignPAIPanAfricarePandemic Action NetworkPanorama GlobalPartners In HealthPATHPathfinder InternationalPolicy Cures ResearchPopulation CouncilPopulation Services International Research!AmericaRESULTSRice University Institute for Global Health TechnologiesSabin Vaccine InstituteSanaria Inc.Seed Global HealthShot@LifeSightsaversSinapi BiomedicalSmile TrainSociety for Children Orphaned By AIDS Inc.South Africa Health Technologies Advocacy CoalitionSpeak Up AfricaTB AllianceTexas Children's HospitalThe BroadReach GroupThe END FundThe Task Force for Global HealthTreatment Action GroupUCSF Institute for Global Health SciencesUnited to Beat MalariaUnlock AidVanderbilt Institute for Global HealthWashington Global Health AllianceWCG CaresWhat To Expect ProjectWhite Ribbon AllianceWomen in Global HealthZenysis