Kamala Thriemer

Perceptions of shorter radical cure Plasmodium vivax treatment regimens and their implementation: a qualitative study among stakeholders in Cambodia - Malaria Journal Background Plasmodium vivax malaria remains a significant public health concern in the Asia Pacific, the Americas, and the Horn of Africa. Shorter, more effective treatment options for P. vivax malaria, including 7-day-high-dose primaquine and single-dose tafenoquine, are available and now included in global recommendations. However, the implementation of these options requires an understanding of their acceptability to inform implementation strategies and mitigate potential challenges. Methods Perceptions of policymakers, healthcare providers, and malaria service recipients regarding 7-day-high-dose primaquine and tafenoquine were explored through qualitative methods (interviews and focus group discussions) in the context of a pre-elimination setting in Cambodia. Data from 142 participants were analysed thematically through deductive and inductive coding and memo writing. Results Policymakers, programme officials, and healthcare providers identified the need for shorter treatment regimens in view of the low adherence and reduced effectiveness of longer treatment regimens. They attributed added value to these new interventions, associating better quality, increased effectiveness, and a decreased burden on the healthcare workers. For patients, the main purpose and value of shorter treatment options were reduced opportunity costs through faster recovery and being able to return to work sooner. The value attributed was contingent on the treatment options’ adverse event profile, with some stakeholders being concerned about patients potentially experiencing more adverse events. However, patients themselves were willing to endure increased adverse events, provided they were for a shorter period and the shortened treatment enabled them to return to work more quickly. Policymakers were supportive but additional confidence-building through evidence generation is likely required. Conclusion Acceptance of 7-day-high-dose primaquine and tafenoquine was high in the pre-elimination context of Cambodia. Based on this study’s findings, the uptake of these new treatment options is likely but will require confidence-building through evidence generation for policymakers and enhanced monitoring of adverse events to increase acceptability.

New paper out in Malaria Journal!

Led by @cassidyseyoum.bsky.social, we explored perceptions of shorter radical cure for P. vivax in Cambodia. Patients valued quicker recovery, while stakeholders stressed monitoring & local evidence to build confidence for policy change.

👉 doi.org/10.1186/s129...

Thrilled to see our PLOS MED review on sharing research results with participants featured by Insight+, the news site of the @mja.com.au! Grateful to see growing attention to participant-centred dissemination.

insightplus.mja.com.au/2025/35/shar...

YouTube video by Maastricht University PhD Defenses Phd Defence of Sarah Anne Cassidy-Seyoum

Huge congratulations to @cassidyseyoum.bsky.social on defending her PhD at @maastrichtu.bsky.social !

She completed a dual degree with @charlesdarwinuni.bsky.social@menziesresearch.bsky.social

I was proud to give the oration & look forward to her 2nd graduation.

👉 www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQlj...

Strengthening country ownership of national antimalarial policymaking: insights from Laos, Pakistan and the Solomon Islands - Malaria Journal Background The concept of “ownership” in global health policymaking broadly assumes that external donors and advisors expect recipient countries to actively steward their national programmes when assi...

New paper Malaria Journal!
From 50 interviews in Laos, Pakistan & Solomon Islands, we found:
➡️ Strong ownership of internal policy processes
➡️ But ownership is restricted by donor priorities & procurement constraints that shape decisions

Read here 👉 malariajournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10....

Congrats to Sharif Hossain on being awarded a Menzies 40Y40K Scholarship! From WHO TDR Fellow to PhD student under Benedikt Ley (NHMRC Ideas Grant), this reflects 20+ yrs of collaboration with icddrb and enduring partnerships! @acreme.bsky.social

New study published today in @plos.org Medicine highlights the value of sharing research results with participants – helping to build trust, value, respect, health literacy and understanding of research. Read the study in full: journals.plos.org/plosmedicine...
@kthriemer.bsky.social

Current global practice and implications for future research on disseminating health research results to study participants: A systematic review Mary Bagita-Vangana and colleagues describe the current global practice of disseminating aggregate research results to study participants, including expectations of participants regarding results shar...

New PLOS Medicine paper!

Our review of 96 studies shows most participants want research results shared — but too often, they’re not.

✅ Sharing results = trust, respect, health literacy
🚫 Barriers = funding, logistics, no guidance

journals.plos.org/plosmedicine...

Acceptability and feasibility of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) testing using SD Biosensor by village malaria workers in Cambodia: a qualitative study Introduction Plasmodium vivax is the predominant cause of malaria in the Greater Mekong Subregion. To ensure safe treatment with primaquine, point-of-care glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) test...

New in BMJ Global Health: Can village malaria workers in Cambodia safely use the SD Biosensor for G6PD testing?

We explored the acceptability and feasibility of community-based testing to support radical cure for P. vivax malaria.
🔗 gh.bmj.com/content/10/6...

#Malaria #Vivax #G6PD #GlobalHealth

A key component of malaria elimination strategies is robust surveillance which is essential for monitoring trends in case numbers, guiding public health interventions, and prioritizing resource allocation.
shorturl.at/ODNBt

#Malaria #GlobalHealth #MalariaElimination

Massive thanks to the teams in Cambodia and Ethiopia and to collaborators across the globe!

Suggestions include:
🔹 Involving Community health workers, facility staff & local leaders in sensitization
🔹 Integrating outreach into existing community activities
🔹 Joint training sessions to reinforce partnerships
🔹 Open communication with patients to strengthen patient agency

In both settings: Collaboration across all health system levels is crucial for effective follow-up care.
How can we strengthen this collaboration?
#HealthSystems #ImplementationScience

👥 Focus groups in Cambodia & Ethiopia helped co-design locally appropriate Day 3 follow-up models:
📍 Cambodia: community-based visits prioritising symptom assessment & proximity to patients
📍 Ethiopia: continuity of care most important & and tiered approach required
#CommunityEngagement

Led by two brilliant @menziesresearch.bsky.social PhD students, @cassidyseyoum.bsky.social and Muthoni Mwaura 💪
This work highlights the power of co-design in global health research. #Malaria #PhDResearch

Co-design of a routine clinical review to improve the safety of high dose radical cure treatment for Plasmodium vivax malaria: findings from Cambodia and Ethiopia - Malaria Journal Background Low dose primaquine regimens are widely used to treat Plasmodium vivax malaria, but they have limited efficacy and effectiveness. Short courses with higher daily doses as well as single dos...

🎉 New publication out in Malaria Journal!
This study explores how a simple Day 3 clinical review can help improve the safety of high-dose radical cure treatments for Plasmodium vivax malaria.
📖 Read here: link.springer.com/article/10.1...

Great so see such so many people come to the @menziesresearch.bsky.social open day! Thanks to everyone from the malaria team for such a great interactive display!

🔗 Full article 👉 gh.bmj.com/content/10/5...

#Malaria #VivaxMalaria #Indonesia #HealthSystems #Surveillance #BMJGlobalHealth #PublicHealth #MenziesResearch #PhDResearch #HealthPolicy #GlobalHealth

👏 This work was led by @menziesresearch.bsky.social PhD student Ery Setiawan. Thanks to our co-authors @devinefy.bsky.social, @ricprice99.bsky.social, @kevinbaird.bsky.social and Helen Prameswary.

Integrating NHI data into routine malaria surveillance to give the Ministry of Health more detailed insights to target malaria control & elimination more effectively.

📆 Nearly 5% of malaria patients re-presented to hospital within 30 days of their first treatment.
⚠️ Over 50% of these returns were due to new malaria episodes showing the importance of providing highly effective treatment AND ensuring patients complete the full course.

💉 The acute costs of inpatient care were closely linked to:
1. Severity of malaria disease
2. Presence of additional (non-malaria) diagnoses
3. Duration of hospital stay

What did we find?
🏥 Inpatient malaria treatment costs were 10x higher than outpatient costs at hospital level.
🦠 P. vivax patients had higher re-presentation costs than P. falciparum patients.

📢 New study out in BMJ Global Health: We analysed Indonesia’s National Health Insurance (NHI) claims to better understand the health & financial burden of malaria. A step towards improving malaria control & elimination efforts.

Excited about @nhmrc.bsky.social funding!

We’re testing a simplified 3-day primaquine regimen for P. vivax malaria.

Thanks @menziesresearch.bsky.social and all partners!

Shout-out to Brioni Moore + Laurens Manning for the idea + early data 💪

#Malaria #ClinicalTrials #GlobalHealth #Research

Prof Kamala Thriemer has been awarded a 2024 NHMRC Clinical Trials and Cohort Studies Grant for the project “An ultra-short course of primaquine for the radical cure of vivax malaria”—a major step forward in the global fight against #malaria. Read about the grant: acreme.edu.au/announcement...

Big thanks to our amazing teams in Cambodia, Ethiopia, Pakistan & Indonesia—and to every participant who shared their views with us. 🙏💛
@menziesresearch.bsky.social @acreme.bsky.social

#GlobalHealth #ResearchEthics #ParticipantVoices

Now we're taking the next step:
🛠️ Putting these findings into practice and co-designing dissemination strategies that reflect what participants actually want.

Some participants wanted community meetings.
Others preferred 1-on-1 conversations with health workers.
And in some places—people didn’t want to receive results at all.

There’s no one-size-fits-all.

New paper out! 📄 We asked malaria trial participants in Cambodia, Ethiopia, Indonesia and Pakistan how they want to receive study results.

💬 The answer? It depends.
🔗 doi.org/10.1017/cts....

Fantastic couple if days in Karachi and very delighted to present and discuss results from the EFFORT study with national and provincial stakeholders to improve case management for vivax malaria. @menziesresearch.bsky.social @acreme.bsky.social @mmv.org