Malaria endemic areas in Brazil are restricted to the Amazon Region, with an average of 500 thousand new cases every year. The situation can be defined as unstable hipoendemic with, however, foci of high endemicity. Demographic and socio economic factors are main determinants in the malaria challenge for the Public Health System. In the present paper, biological and social factors responsible for the unstable endemic situation are discussed. The need for a permanent surveillance and intervention of Public Health Services are stressed to avoid the occurrence of local epidemics and spreading of endemic areas. In the paper, are also summarised recent lines of research developed in the post genomic era in the studies of parasite, vector and human molecular genetics that would favour the development, in the future, of new tools and procedures for malaria control
Malaria; Genomics; Plasmodium; Anopheles
