Bangladesh surveils drug-resistant malaria in Rohingya camps

DHAKA, Bangladesh (MNTV) — Bangladesh is preparing to launch its first surveillance study aimed at detecting drug-resistant malaria strains in Rohingya refugee camps near the country’s southeastern border with Myanmar, a move health experts say is critical to safeguarding progress toward eliminating the disease.

The research will be carried out by the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh in collaboration with the National Malaria Elimination Programme under the Directorate General of Health Services and the development organization BRAC, according to an announcement issued on March 11.

Researchers plan to analyze blood samples from malaria patients living in refugee settlements in Cox’s Bazar district, where more than 1.18 million Rohingya refugees from Myanmar have been living since fleeing genocide across the border beginning in 2017.

The study will focus on identifying genetic mutations in malaria parasites that may indicate resistance to commonly used treatments, particularly Artemisinin-based combination therapy, which remains the most widely used treatment for malaria worldwide.

Health experts say such surveillance has become increasingly important as reports of drug-resistant malaria strains continue to emerge in parts of Southeast Asia, including neighboring Myanmar. If resistant parasites spread across the border into Bangladesh, they could undermine the effectiveness of existing treatments and complicate efforts to control the disease.

Malaria is a life-threatening illness transmitted through the bite of infected mosquitoes. The most dangerous form is caused by the parasite Plasmodium falciparum, which is responsible for most severe infections and deaths globally.

The Rohingya camps in Cox’s Bazar are considered particularly vulnerable to infectious diseases because of their dense population and close proximity to the Bangladesh-Myanmar border. Public health specialists say cross-border movement and travel between malaria-endemic areas increase the risk of introducing new parasite strains.

Recent monitoring data from BRAC show malaria cases have risen in the camps in recent years. In 2021, health workers recorded 291 confirmed infections among refugees, with many cases linked to travel to nearby malaria-prone areas in the hilly districts of southeastern Bangladesh or movement from Myanmar.

Bangladesh has made significant progress in reducing malaria transmission over the past decade, according to public health officials. However, maintaining that progress requires stronger disease surveillance in high-risk regions.

Officials and humanitarian agencies discussed the planned surveillance during a coordination meeting held on March 10 at the office of the Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner in Cox’s Bazar.

Researchers involved in the project say malaria patients will be recruited from selected camps and nearby health facilities. Blood samples will then be analyzed to detect genetic markers associated with resistance and to measure how quickly parasites disappear from patients’ blood after treatment — an important indicator of drug effectiveness.

The project is funded by Global Affairs Canada, and patient enrollment is expected to begin in April.

Bangladesh aims to eliminate local malaria transmission by 2030 under its National Malaria Elimination Strategy for 2024–2030. Public health experts say early detection of drug resistance will be essential to protecting both refugees and nearby communities as the country works toward that target.