Rudolf Gaiseb
Imagine arriving at a health facility with malaria and the treatment is no longer working.

This is a possibility we may face if drug resistance continues to emerge.
Meet Lydia Eloff, a postgraduate research fellow and PhD candidate in malaria genomics at the University of Namibia (Unam). 

She is passionate about expelling this possibility through her research.
Eloff uses molecular and genomic tools to understand malaria transmission and drug resistance to strengthen surveillance and support malaria elimination.

Her work combines lab science, analysis of disease patterns and involvement in policy to create evidence that helps guide national decisions, especially about monitoring drug and diagnostic resistance.

She recently won the Best Student Researcher Award in the female category at the National Research Excellence Awards 2026. 

 The awards were held by the National Commission on Research Science and Technology (NCRST).
With antimalarial drug resistance being a major threat to malaria control and elimination globally, her work has been useful to the health ministry and the World Health Organisation (WHO).

He research is currently informing the planning of a therapeutic efficacy study to assess whether Namibia’s first-line treatment remains effective and if drug resistance is contributing to this burden.

In the beginning 

Growing up, Eloff was always reminded to wear protective clothing in the evenings to prevent mosquito bites, something her father still reminds her today.
One experience that stood out for her was seeing how malaria research can be taken directly into the field, including mobile laboratory work, where parasite samples are analysed in real time across different countries.

“This showed me the power of molecular tools in understanding and tracking malaria beyond the traditional lab setting,” she said during an exclusive tell-it-all interview with this journalist.
“What drives my passion is the belief that a healthy population is essential for a country to thrive, and that no one should suffer from a disease that is both preventable and treatable,” she added.

Research
In a jointly published study in July 2025, Eloff, alongside other researchers, identified a high prevalence of candidate molecular markers associated with antimalarial drug resistance.
They found that validated markers, such as mutations in the Plasmodium falciparum Kelch 13 cause resistance to artemisinin-based combination therapies in malaria parasites.
“This gene, found at low prevalence, is linked to delayed parasite clearance, while candidate markers require further investigation,” she said. 

The study indicates that artemisinin-based combination therapies are a cornerstone of Namibia’s efforts to eliminate malaria.
“Namibia has experienced a greater than 90% reduction in malaria cases since the introduction of these therapies in 2005. However, their efficacy have not been routinely monitored, with malaria outbreaks regularly reported since 2016,” it states.
Although these results do not confirm treatment failure, they act as early warning signals, Eloff said. 

The next step is to conduct therapeutic efficacy studies to assess the clinical implications of these markers found in Namibia and determine whether current treatments remain effective.
Eloff’s work is based in northern Namibia, in border regions, where transmission remains high, and where there are frequent cross-border movements. 

In the last decade, the researchers found that malaria transmission has shifted from north-central Namibia to the north-eastern regions of Kavango East, Kavango West and Zambezi.
Several factors are attributed to this shift.
In the north-eastern regions, higher rainfall and perennial water bodies create the perfect conditions for mosquitoes to breed throughout the year, even sustaining transmission during the dry season.

“In addition, lower uptake of interventions, such as indoor spraying and mosquito net use, due to low spray coverage, refusals and limited access, particularly among mobile and high-risk populations like agricultural workers, cattle herders and young male travellers, contributes to ongoing transmission,” the researcher said. 

These changes in vector behaviour, such as increased outdoor biting, combined with more time spent outdoors, also increase exposure. 

This means malaria transmission is becoming more localised and complex, requiring targeted, context-specific interventions to effectively control and eliminate the disease, she noted.
The young researcher said, since routine surveillance does not fully capture changes in the parasite, genomic tools provide important information to support targeted interventions and malaria elimination efforts.
Historically, malaria epidemics were recorded in 1990, 1996, 1997, 2000 and 2001, resulting in significant mortality and morbidity. 

During the 2001 epidemic, more than 500 000 cases and about 1 728 deaths were reported.
Meanwhile, Unam’s operational research aims to generate evidence to inform interventions and contribute to national and regional guidelines, as well as WHO recommendations.
The university works closely with the health ministry and collaborates with key international partners, including the National Institute for Communicable Diseases; the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) Academic Medical Centre (AMC); the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and the Southern African Development Community Malaria Elimination Eight (E8).
Having published several research studies alongside reputable researchers and institutions, Eloff aims to inform communities to continue using preventive measures such as sleeping under mosquito nets, allowing indoor spraying and seeking treatment promptly.
She urges community members not to share or sell their medications, and to complete the full course of treatment as prescribed.
To the public health sector, she advises strengthening surveillance and evidence-based decision-making in collaboration with research institutions, which remains important.
“Ongoing monitoring, including routine molecular and genomic surveillance, is essential to detect emerging threats such as drug resistance for better preparedness and response,” she said.
She added that Namibia is moving toward integrating molecular and genomic surveillance into routine malaria monitoring to complement traditional approaches.

This is said to strengthen early detection of emerging threats and support timelier, data-driven responses. 

Malaria 

Eloff’s scientific breakthroughs and progress come at a time when Namibia is grappling with malaria. 

A New Era report recently revealed that the country has recorded a steady increase in malaria cases across several parts of the country, particularly in Zambezi, Kavango, Oshana, Ohangwena and Omusati regions.

Namibia economic report

Authorities attribute the rise to seasonal factors such as floodwater and community refusal of indoor residual spraying (IRS) in their homes, while community members blame the government for failing to provide sufficient mosquito nets.

Health ministry spokesperson Walter Kamaya said the Zambezi region has recorded a steady increase in malaria cases in 2026.

“A total of 10 330 confirmed malaria cases were recorded from January to date, with 1 719 cases reported in the latest week, showing that cases are still increasing,” Kamaya said. 

The report shows that 98.6% of the cases are locally transmitted, meaning people were infected within the region, while only 1.4% are imported from outside. So far, 467 patients have been admitted, with 68 new admissions recorded in the latest week. 

Kamaya said that nine deaths have been reported this year in Zambezi, which is slightly higher than the seven deaths recorded during the same period last year. 

However, the case fatality rate remains low at 0.09%, showing that most patients are recovering with treatment. –rgaiseb@nepc.com.na