Biography

Bob is the longest serving Oxford scientist at the Kenyan Programme. Bob’s career began in The Gambia where he undertook the first clinical trials of insecticide treated nets (ITN) [1984-1988]. Following a move to Kenya, he established the framework to undertake linked community-based mortality and hospital admission trials at Kilifi and directed one of four large-scale, community-randomized mortality trials of ITN in Africa [1989-1993]. Subsequently he investigated the possible long-term effects of reduced parasite exposure on the clinical epidemiology of malaria to understand the consequences of sustained ITN use and/or its interrupted use on disease burdens [1994-2003]. This was used as a basis to establish new epidemiological methods to define the mortality, morbidity and consequential burdens posed by malaria in Africa [1995-1999] and clinical disease globally [2005]. As part of new ways to articulate disease burdens he started the Mapping Malaria Risk in Africa (MARA) project with colleagues in South Africa [1996], which served as the model for a global initiative founded by Bob in Nairobi, known as the Malaria Atlas Project (MAP) [2005]. Bob has been supported by the Wellcome Trust since 1992 under three Senior and three Principal Fellowships in Basic Biomedical Science. https://www.tropicalmedicine.ox.ac.uk/news/115-years-of-malaria-in-africa-interview https://www.ndm.ox.ac.uk/bob-snow-malaria-control-in-africa

Current Work

Since 2010, he has led a science-to-policy initiative, funded by DFID, UK, to ensure the best possible use of epidemiological data to design malaria control programmes in 22 African countries. In 2015, this work extended to support countries in the Arabian Peninsula as a collaboration with WHO’s EMR office in Cairo; focusing on countries in conflict, entering phases of malaria elimination, or aiming to prevent malaria re-introduction.

Collaborations

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Project Research

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Publications

Feasibility, safety, and impact of the RTS,S/AS01(E) malaria vaccine when implemented through national immunisation programmes: evaluation of cluster-randomised introduction of the vaccine in Ghana, Kenya, and Malawi.
Asante, K. P., Mathanga, D. P., Milligan, P., Akech, S., Oduro, A., Mwapasa, V., Moore, K. A., Kwambai, T. K., Hamel, M. J., Gyan, T., Westercamp, N., Kapito-Tembo, A., Njuguna, P., Ansong, D., Kariuki, S., Mvalo, T., Snell, P., Schellenberg, D., Welega, P., Otieno, L., Chimala, A., Afari, E. A., Bejon, P., Maleta, K., Agbenyega, T., Snow, R. W., Zulu, M., Chinkhumba, J., Samuels, A. M.
Lancet, (2024). :

Spatial variation and clustering of anaemia prevalence in school-aged children in Western Kenya.
Robert, B. N., Cherono, A., Mumo, E., Mwandawiro, C., Okoyo, C., Gichuki, P. M., Blanford, J. L., Snow, R. W., Okiro, E. A.
PLoS One, (2023). 18:e0282382

Malaria vaccine coverage estimation using age-eligible populations and service user denominators in Kenya.
Moturi, A. K., Jalang'o, R., Cherono, A., Muchiri, S. K., Snow, R. W., Okiro, E. A.
Malar J, (2023). 22:287

Border malaria: defining the problem to address the challenge of malaria elimination.
Li, X., Snow, R. W., Lindblade, K., Noor, A. M., Steketee, R., Rabinovich, R., Gopinath, D., Gasimov, E., Alonso, P. L.
Malar J, (2023). 22:239

Spatio-temporal modelling of routine health facility data for malaria risk micro-stratification in mainland Tanzania.
Thawer, S. G., Golumbeanu, M., Lazaro, S., Chacky, F., Munisi, K., Aaron, S., Molteni, F., Lengeler, C., Pothin, E., Snow, R. W., Alegana, V. A.
Sci Rep, (2023). 13:10600

Spatial heterogeneity of low-birthweight deliveries on the Kenyan coast.
Musau, M. M., Mwakio, S., Amadi, D., Nyaguara, A., Bejon, P., Berkley, J. A., Snow, R. W., Kamau, A.
BMC Pregnancy Childbirth, (2023). 23:270

Geographic accessibility and hospital competition for emergency blood transfusion services in Bungoma, Western Kenya.
Mumo, E., Agutu, N. O., Moturi, A. K., Cherono, A., Muchiri, S. K., Snow, R. W., Alegana, V. A.
Int J Health Geogr, (2023). 22:6

Geospatial mapping of timely access to inpatient neonatal care and its relationship to neonatal mortality in Kenya.
Ouma, P. O., Malla, L., Wachira, B. W., Kiarie, H., Mumo, J., Snow, R. W., English, M., Okiro, E. A.
PLOS Glob Public Health, (2022). 2:e0000216

Tackling post-discharge mortality in children living in LMICs to reduce child deaths.
Akech, S., Kwambai, T., Wiens, M. O., Chandna, A., Berkley, J. A., Snow, R. W.
Lancet Child Adolesc Health, (2023). 7:149-151

Avoiding another lost decade in reducing malaria burden in African infants and young children.
Menendez, C., Saute, F., Greenwood, B., Schellenberg, D., Snow, R., Alonso, P. L.
Lancet Glob Health, (2022). 10:e1385-e1386