Application Strategy and Research Progress of Large-Scale Population Drug Intervention in Malaria Control

Malaria is one of the major global public health issues. An estimated 282 million malaria cases occurred worldwide in 2024, and the overall prevention and control progress has stagnated or even reversed in some regions. Mass drug administration (MDA), as a potential strategy to accelerate malaria elimination, has regained attention. This paper reviews the evidence base, controversial focuses, and application strategies of MDA in malaria prevention and control. It aims to promote its scientific application in the elimination phase. MDA plays an important role in malaria prevention and control. However, this strategy is accompanied by core limitations such as long-term drug resistance risks, insufficient implementation sustainability, and a high failure rate of regional adaptation. It also faces challenges from multiple common malaria species, as well as the newly discovered Plasmodium knowlesi. We therefore propose an “MDA+” collaborative strategy integrating vaccines, digital monitoring, and cross-border cooperation, so as to optimize resource allocation, achieve full coverage control over various malaria parasites, and advance the global malaria elimination process.