Accumulating evidence suggests that asymptomatic carriers contribute to the bulk of malaria transmission in Sub-Saharan Africa. In low transmission settings, much of the asymptomatic reservoir – people carrying the disease without showing symptoms - is submicroscopic, thus invisible to commonly used rapid tests. A better understanding of human-to-mosquito transmission from these low-density infections can inform strategies for interrupting transmission.
The burden of malaria in The Gambia has substantially declined over the past two decades. However, transmission of the disease persists, especially in the eastern part of the country. The vision of the World Health Organization and the global malaria community is a world free of malaria, with countries accelerating efforts toward elimination by combining interventions tailored to local contexts.