Table 1. Capacity strengthening and training for malaria: Current status.

Current Status	Core Courses	Specialized Courses	Gaps/Weaknesses	Opportunities	Threats
Biomedical Sciences	Epidemiology	Surveillance and stratification	Micro-stratification Medical entomology Lack of good data sciences Limited number of pharma scientists	A plethora of existing materials from WHO, PMI/CDC, Global Health Network, EDCTP, Harvard-ISG-Swiss TPH consortium, and Networks in Asia and ACTMalaria Existence of a substantial mass of African centers of excellence for malaria research and teaching in Central, East, Southern and West Africa that can address the identified weaknesses	Lack of coordination and common training strategy Lack of real estimates of need, and therefore failure of implementing effective strategies Territorialism Lack of funding and lack of interest in working in an area that might become obsolete when malaria is eradicated Lack of political commitment and country ownership Over-reliance of countries on external funding Perceived dominance of the malaria response by the North Data illiteracy at all levels of the health workforce and in all sciences (biomedical and social) Huge challenge to regulate and reach the large number of this cadre especially in urban areas.
	Entomology and vector control	Vector resistance and surveillance
	Diagnostics and case management Pharmaceutical Sciences	Microscopy, Therapeutic Efficacy Studies, drug resistance Chemoprevention Drug discovery, Dispensing, pharmacovigilance, etc.
Implementation and Operational Sciences	Planning and management of malaria programs	Leadership training, advocacy and social mobilization	Health information sciences Logistics and supply chain management Policy dialogue, analysis, and development	Public health schools could collaborate with departments of humanities to provide degree, certificate, and short-term courses to address identified gaps Focus on training mid-level career health workers Training of CHWs could include training of informal drug dispensers on whom many communities depend for first treatment of perceived malaria symptoms
		Resource mobilization	Operational research Community engagement Training in ethics Human rights and gender Health economics Multi/trans/intra disciplinary approaches Analytical problem-solving skills Partner coordination