Malaria
Dr. Awa Marie Coll-Seck is executive director of the Roll Back Malaria Partnership, a professor of infectious diseases and an expert in public health and tropical medicine. In this blog post, she highlights the findings of an exciting new report on malaria.
In 2008, scientists studying 3,500-year-old Egyptian mummies made a fascinating discovery. They peered into the DNA of these ancient humans and saw evidence of something every modern African mother and father still fears: the Plasmodium falciparum malaria parasite, the most deadly malaria parasite in the world and one that today continues to kill some 780,000 people each year—most of them very young African children.
King Tut mask, photo credit: Wikimedia Commons.
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On Tuesday, a bipartisan resolution passed the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to commemorate World Malaria Day and to reaffirm the United States leadership and support for efforts to combat malaria as a critical component of the President’s Global Health Initiative. The resolution is sponsored by the co-chairs of the Senate World Group on Malaria — Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), chairman of the Africa Subcommittee, and Senator Roger Wicker (R-Miss.).
Last week, both senators spoke at an event co-hosted by ONE and other organizations to educate congressional staff about malaria and the critical need to continue to fund efforts to stop it. For millions of people around the world, a simple mosquito bite can have deadly consequences. A disease eradicated in the United States in 1949, malaria still kills approximately 781,000 people every year — mostly children, infants and pregnant women in sub-Saharan Africa.
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After speaking with Dr. Loucq about the exciting development of the malaria vaccine through the PATH Malaria Vaccine Initiative (MVI), we were thrilled to talk to Dr. John Lusingu, a malaria vaccine researcher at an MVI trial site in Tanzania. Dr. Lusingu discussed the devastating impact of malaria in his community and ongoing research on the ground.
John outside of the newly built state of the art research facility
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Today is World Malaria Day. Did you know that more than 500 million people have been reached with anti-malarial bed nets in the past two years alone, saving 200,000 lives per year? That’s nearly 550 fewer deaths every single day. And the bed nets to protect against malaria cost only $10, a fee that includes delivering the net and training people on how to use it.
ONE applauds all of the accomplishments and efforts that have led to the reduction of the spread of malaria. But there is still more work to be done.
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We were delighted when Dr. Christian Loucq, director of the PATH Malaria Vaccine Initiative stopped by the ONE office last week for an interview in honor of World Malaria Day. He candidly shared his experiences from around the world and his thoughts on vaccines, advocacy and the future of the fight against malaria.
How did you come to PATH, and what work are you doing for them currently?
I am the director of the PATH Malaria Vaccine Initiative (MVI). At MVI, our mission is to speed up the development of malaria vaccines and ensure they are available in the developing world. I started my career as a young doctor in Africa and worked in sub-Saharan Africa for six years. I have spent most of my professional career working in the vaccine industry in Europe, India, Thailand and China.
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African farmers can feed world: Speaking at the International Fund for Agricultural Development’s Governing Council in Italy, former UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, argues that global hunger can be halted through changes in how farmers grow food and a focus on creating more partnerships worldwide. Annan outlined a vision where “Africa can feed not only its own citizens, but help meet the needs of the hungry across the world,” maintaining that first priority must be given to growing more food and not cash crops such as coffee, cocoa and tea.
Spain Launches Food Security Fund: The Spanish government unveiled a new $408 million fund meant to promote food security and combat rural poverty worldwide. The Spanish Food Security Co-financing Facility Trust Fund was announced on the margins of the 34th session of the International Fund for Agricultural Development’s governing council, which took place over the weekend in Rome. IFAD will manage the co-financing facility, with plans to target countries that need funding in excess of what IFAD can readily provide.
Sweet Bait Lures Malaria Mosquitoes: Israeli researchers say they have developed a powerful bait that effectively attracts and kills malaria-infected mosquitoes but is completely harmless to humans and other animals. The toxic sugar bait is made with a combination of fruit juice essences, which are attractive to mosquitoes, and boric acid – a mild, inorganic powder that kills insects when they ingest it. Experiments in a semi-arid region of Mali, found the bait to be very effective at killing mosquitoes.
Michael Gerson, Washington Post columnist and former speechwriter for George W. Bush, is live blogging his trip to Senegal with Malaria No More.
A malaria rapid test shown to us at the Hospital General de Grand Yoff
Arrived early this morning in Dakar, Senegal on a short trip with the good folks at Malaria No More. I’ve only been to Senegal once before, in 2005, but it is obvious how much as changed.
Our first briefing was with the USAID experts who implement the President’s Malaria Initiative, announced by the Bush administration in the run up to the 2005 Gleneagles G8. The PMI team reported that Senegal has seen a 30 percent decline in infant mortality from all causes between 2005 and 2008 –- and that one major reason has been progress against malaria.
Senegal is conducting this fight aggressively. With strong support from PMI and the Global Fund, Senegal was the first African country to introduce routine rapid tests, which make the diagnosis of malaria quicker (now taking about 10 minutes) and more accurate. It was the first African country to move toward the goal of universal bed net coverage, which it hopes to reach by the end of this year.
Defeating malaria –- one of the main killers of children in Africa -– is not a mystery. It requires the broad distribution and consistent use of insecticide treated bed nets, along with indoor residual spraying and treatment with effective combination drugs. It is a matter of will and resources.
Can’t wait to get out into the field over the next few days to see how PMI is being implemented.
