I am delighted to introduce

I am delighted to introduce the inaugural issue of . It is very likely that you are reading this online, this being an online-only journal, although we have also printed this first issue in order to showcase the journal to readers of . What is certain is that, in accessing this article, and all the other articles in this journal, you will have met with no registration barrier or paywall, for this is also an open-access journal—the first journal so-designated. All the articles remain the property of the authors, and reuse by others is permitted under a variety of , from the most restrictive to the most liberal, according to authors\' own preferences. The journal\'s Wortmannin began with a back in March, and the subsequent influx of high-quality submissions—from Pakistan, South Africa, Australia, Egypt, Nigeria, Canada, India, Italy, Laos, the USA, China, the UK, Uganda, the Netherlands, Kenya, Switzerland, and Malawi—has been wonderful to see. More papers from South America would be welcome. This month\'s issue contains a delightfully diverse selection of that research, together with Comments and Correspondence. The first two research papers complement the recent on maternal and child nutrition. Gretchen Stevens and colleagues\' systematic analysis shows how the prevalence of anaemia in women and children has changed since the mid-1990s, with a slow decline overall but little improvement in some regions such as south Asia and central and west Africa. The findings provide a good baseline from which to work towards to reduce anaemia in women by 50% by 2025. Continuing the global estimates theme, Anne C C Lee and colleagues put a figure (32·4 million, or 27% of all livebirths) to the burden of intrauterine growth restriction in 138 low-income and middle-income countries. They go on to unpick the relative contribution of intrauterine growth restriction and preterm birth (being born either “too small or too soon”) to the prevalence of low birthweight (defined as <2500 g). Regional differences are striking: whereas 65% of low-birthweight babies in south Asia are born at term and growth-restricted, the figure is only 43% in sub-Saharan Africa, where the majority of low birthweight is attributable to preterm birth. Lee and colleagues remind us that, although these numbers might be hard to reduce, plenty of low-cost care options exist for babies born too small or too soon (or both).
The malaria map is rapidly shrinking. In 1900, endemic malaria was present in almost every country. Nowadays, the disease has been eliminated in 111 countries and 34 countries are advancing towards elimination. Elimination is defined as the absence of transmission in a defined geography—typically a country. Successful malaria control programmes in the remaining 64 countries with ongoing transmission have helped to reduce global incidence by 17% and mortality by 26% since 2000. For the 34 eliminating countries, the reductions were 85% in incidence and 87% in mortality. This progress is encouraging, but is worldwide eradication of human malaria possible? If so, is it a worthwhile goal and should we commit to it? Is eradication possible? Probably yes; however, substantial challenges exist. First, despite progress, the burden of malaria is still great and it is widespread. In 2010, an estimated 219 million cases of malaria were reported and 660 000 people died in 98 countries. Second, drug and insecticide resistance are on the rise. In Burma, Cambodia, China, Thailand, and Vietnam, resistance of the major human malarial parasite species, to artemisinin, the most widely used first-line drug, has been detected and could be spreading despite efforts to contain it. Resistance to pyrethroid insecticides can happen quickly and has emerged after large-scale distributions of bednets in several regions. Although new drugs and insecticides are being sought, none are expected to be available in the near future. Third, increased mobility of people not only makes containment of resistance difficult, but also threatens the introduction or reintroduction of malaria parasites to receptive areas. Fourth, outside sub-Saharan Africa, the second major human malarial parasite species, is the main challenge. is much less researched than is is harder to diagnose and failure to successfully treat its dormant liver stage results in relapses that can fuel onward transmission. Furthermore, in Borneo and neighbouring regions, evidence now exists of human infection by a monkey parasite species, . Zoonotic reservoirs challenge all campaigns for eradication of human infection. Fifth, extreme events, such as wars or natural disasters, greatly disrupt malaria control and elimination activities, and can lead to substantial resurgence. When accompanied by large population movements, these events can introduce malaria into previously malaria-free areas. Sixth, as malaria becomes rare, persuasion of governments to allocate finances to maintain effective elimination or post-elimination programmes is increasingly difficult. Since 1930, 75 resurgences of malaria have been recorded and nearly all are linked to the scaling back of programmes. These six factors present notable challenges on the road to eradication. However, all have potential solutions resulting from substantial international collaborative efforts that range from basic research to improvements in policy and financing arrangements.