Building Partnership Through Malaria Research in Thailand

The Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences (AFRIMS) is a US Department of Defense (DoD) institution under the US Embassy in Bangkok, Thailand. In partnership with the Royal Thai Army, AFRIMS has conducted in-depth malaria research for the past 60 years, with a specific focus on anti-malarial product development as well as monitoring and surveillance of product effectiveness and signs of anti-malarial drug resistance. While the primary mission is DoD-sponsored medical research to protect armed services personnel, developments and accomplishments are shared with the community at large. Conducting malaria research, particularly human clinical studies, requires investments in time, resources, and people, as well as dedicated partnerships. This commitment to medical research by its very nature does not provide rapid responses to epidemics or outbreaks. However, through its long-term collaborations and relationships, AFRIMS has been asked to assist with outbreaks in infectious diseases such as malaria, diarrhea, avian influenza and Zika. As a research lab, AFRIMS cannot readily provide diagnostic testing or clinical care, requiring regulatory and ethical approvals to engage in such. The time it takes to meet all logistical requirements may exceed the time interval for which interventions are urgently needed. In this chapter, the AFRIMS response to a malaria outbreak in Thailand is described, outlining the strengths and hurdles encountered. While steps can be taken to facilitate AFRIMS’ involvement in epidemic responses, ultimately it will need to be better incorporated, and planned for, within the primary “inter-epidemic” research mission.