Malaria Diagnostic Trends and Surveillance in Endemic Settings: Insights from Laboratory and Public Health Practice

Accurate diagnosis and responsive surveillance are fundamental to malaria control and elimination. In endemic settings, routine laboratory and public health data provide critical evidence on test positivity, Plasmodium species distribution, demographic and seasonal patterns, transmission heterogeneity, and changes in disease burden. However, the value of these data is often constrained by variations in diagnostic performance, testing practices, data quality, reporting systems, access to molecular tools, and the integration of laboratory findings with surveillance and programme decision-making. As malaria epidemiology evolves and countries move along different control-to-elimination trajectories, there is a growing need to examine how diagnostic and surveillance systems perform in real-world settings and how routinely generated evidence can be translated into timely public health action.This Research Topic aims to bring together contemporary evidence on malaria diagnostic trends and surveillance in endemic settings, with particular emphasis on the interface between laboratory practice, epidemiology, health information systems, programme implementation, and public health decision-making. The collection will examine how diagnostic technologies and practices influence surveillance outputs; how routine, molecular, and case-based surveillance approaches characterize changing malaria epidemiology; and how operational constraints affect the quality, interpretation, and use of malaria data. It will also highlight implementation and operational research that identifies practical solutions for strengthening diagnostic quality, surveillance sensitivity, data integration, and evidence use. By drawing on experiences from diverse endemic settings, the collection seeks to generate transferable lessons for improving malaria detection, monitoring transmission, targeting interventions, and supporting progress toward elimination.We welcome contributions addressing malaria diagnostic methods and performance; microscopy, rapid diagnostic tests and molecular approaches; diagnostic quality assurance; test positivity and Plasmodium species trends; routine, case-based and molecular surveillance; spatial, temporal and demographic patterns; surveillance data quality and health information systems; integration of laboratory and epidemiological data; test-treat-track practices; surveillance in low-transmission or elimination settings; and operational or implementation research addressing diagnostic and surveillance challenges. Contributions may draw on facility, community, programme, national or multi-country data. Original research, evidence syntheses, methods-focused studies, brief research reports, perspectives, and implementation or operational analyses that offer clear relevance to malaria policy and practice are encouraged. Topic editors: Precious Kwablah Kwadzokpui, Joyce Der Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/87013/malaria-diagnostic-trends-and-surveillance-in-endemic-settings-insights-from-laboratory-and-public-health-practice