JSPS · Asia-Africa academic platform
A mother-and-child infection research network centered on malaria
African research center for the control of mother-to-child transmission of malaria and other infections
- Period
- 2024.04 — 2027.03 · 36 months
- Japan-side lead
- KIDO Yasutoshi
- Funding
- JSPS · Asia-Africa academic platform
The question
Why maternal and child infection, now?
In Africa, at this very moment, malaria continues to threaten the lives of countless pregnant women and newborns. In highly endemic areas, infection during pregnancy is easily missed, and when infection persists locally in the placenta, maternal symptoms alone cannot capture the true disease burden.
Infection during pregnancy shapes the health of mother, fetus and newborn all at once. The interaction between the placenta and the pathogen can have lasting effects on placental function, fetal growth and the formation of neonatal immunity — yet the full picture remains poorly described.
We look not only at “infected or not,” but continuously at the placental barrier, pathology, immune response and post-birth outcomes. That is the design philosophy of our cohort.
Our compass
Using placental malaria as an entry point, we work to understand mother-and-child infections in Africa and connect them to diagnosis and maternal-child health.
Partner institutions
Japan — DRC — Kenya — Nigeria
A circular network spanning basic research, clinical research, field implementation and health policy.
Osaka Metropolitan University
Graduate School of Medicine
Coordination · molecular diagnostics · integrated analysis
The Japan-side coordinator, integrating field specimens and clinical data at the molecular level.
KIDO Yasutoshi
Principal investigator
INRB
Institut National de Recherche Biomédicale · Parasitology
Mother-child cohort · placental analysis
At the frontline of parasitic diseases in Central Africa, leading cohort construction and placental specimen analysis.
Prof. Dieudonné Mumba
Head of Parasitology, INRB
Mount Kenya University
MKU · Centre for Malaria Elimination
Pregnancy-associated malaria
Leads epidemiological and clinical research on PAM in East Africa, integrating findings toward policy.
Dr. Jesse P. Omondi
MKU, Kenya side
Ahmadu Bello University
ABU · Biochemistry / Pharmacology
Infectious disease research · drug discovery
Bridges clinical and basic research on mother-child infections in West Africa and proposes new therapeutic targets.
Prof. Elewechi Balogun
ABU, Nigeria side
Looking toward collaboration with each country’s Ministry of Health and national ID surveillance, we integrate infection data from pregnancy through early childhood. The network runs on three axes: joint research, domestic and international seminars, and researcher exchange.
Approach
Layering pathology, molecules and immunity on the mother-child cohort.
We render the whole picture of placental malaria — which no single method can capture — from four layers.
Layer 01
Pathology
病理学的評価
We observe placental tissue with HE / IF staining to describe the distribution of infected erythrocytes, barrier breakdown and inflammation.
Layer 02
Molecular diagnostics
分子診断
Building on PCR / NGS, we develop new tools to detect placental, maternal and neonatal specimens with high sensitivity.
Layer 03
Humoral immunity
液性免疫評価
We track antibody responses and antigen specificity longitudinally in mother-child pairs to visualize how protective immunity forms.
Layer 04
Cellular immunity
細胞性免疫評価
We analyze immune-cell dynamics and the balance of inflammation and tolerance to explore mechanisms supporting neonatal immune development.
Sub-topics
Entry points
Expanding into five individual pages.
Placental malaria
Placental barrier and P. falciparum interaction; revisiting congenital malaria
Molecular diagnostics
PCR / NGS · developing and evaluating new diagnostics
Immune development
Longitudinal analysis of humoral and cellular immunity; neonatal immune formation
Maternal-child health
From quantifying disease burden to policy recommendations with health ministries
Young researcher development
Domestic and international seminars, and circular researcher exchange