MALARIA BRIEFS
| June 2, 2005 Workshop examines study on malaria control in low transmission areas Harare, 24 May 2005 -- A workshop on the multi-centre study on the consequences of malaria in low transmission areas in the African Region got under way Tuesday in Harare, Zimbabwe. |
| May 3, 2005 We must unite to fight malaria - Dr Sambo The World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Director for Africa, Dr Luis Gomes Sambo, has made an impassioned plea to African governments, communities, development partners and other stakeholders to “unite against malaria” and “beat” the disease which kills more than 800, 000 Africans every year. #http://www.afro.who.int/index.html# |
| April 26, 2005 Anti-malaria Drug Combination Could Help Address Treatment Cri-
sis in Africa Using a combination of two drugs - artemether and lumefantrine is the most effective way to treat malaria in the areas of Af rica where resistance to commonly used malaria drugs is high, concludes a randomised trial published in this week's issue of The Lancet. #http://www.thelancet.com# |
| April 26, 2005 Measuring success: malaria control and its impact on child anaemia in Africa In sub-Saharan Africa, malaria accounts for 18 percent of child deaths. A number of major programmes, led by the Roll Back Malaria movement, aim to control and reduce malaria in Africa. How effective have these programmes been so far? Could the impact of malaria control on childhood anaemia be one way of measuring their impact? http://www.id21.org |
| April 26, 2005 Making insecticide treated nets available to the poorest households in Nigeria Insecticide-treated mosquito nets (ITNs) are a cost-effective way to control malaria, especially among young children. But without equity in access to nets, this powerful public health tool will have limited impact. In Achi, Nigeria, the factors affecting people’s willingness to pay for ITNs were examined. Viable alternatives to user fees and a universal subsidy should target the most vulnerable. #http://www.id21.org# |
| April 26, 2005 Spot the difference: efficacy versus effectiveness for anti-malarial drugs In much of sub-Saharan Africa, changes in anti-malarial drug policy are largely driven by evidence from clinical efficacy studies. A study by the Kenya Medical Research Institute shows that a drug’s effectiveness is influenced by more factors than simply its clinical efficacy. Policy-makers should also consider brand use, drug quality and adherence when selecting drugs for nationwide use. #http://www.id21.org# |
| April 26, 2005 Be quick – seeking care for life threatening malaria in southern Tanzania Prompt treatment with relatively cheap and effective drugs can prevent deaths from malaria. So why does this disease still cause more deaths than any other throughout Tanzania? The growth in the use of modern medicines has reduced the delaying impact of traditional remedies. The introduction of the 'integrated management of childhood illness' approach, which focuses on the overall wellbeing of a child, is crucial in reducing malaria deaths #http://www.id21.org# |
| April 26, 2005 Fighting malaria in Africa by linking with other disease initiatives The global community is committed to cutting by half the number of deaths worldwide from malaria by 2010. In Africa, progress has been slow towards achieving the objectives set by the continent’s leaders in April 2000 to help reach this goal. Programmes to reduce malaria could be far more effective if they are linked to existing initiatives to prevent other diseases. #http://www.id21.org# |
| July 3, 2004 Vaccines may increase virulence Pursue additional defences, urge malaria experts Vaccines against malaria could cause the parasite to develop more vicious strains. But experts warn that the finding should not detract from the urgent hunt for a jab. #http://www.nature.com/nsu/040621/040621-3.html# |
| April 28, 2004 No place like home – treating childhood malaria in The Gambia Home treatment with shop-bought drugs is assumed to be the most common approach to malaria throughout sub-Saharan Africa. But research by the Danish Bilharziasis Laboratory amongst mothers shows this is not true in rural Gambia, where less than 10 % of children are treated with anti-malarials at home. |
| April 28, 2004 Ceiling fans: changes in house design reduce the risk of malaria Anopheles gambiae is the main malaria-carrying mosquito in Africa. It enters houses through the open eaves of over-hanging roofs. Could changes in house design reduce the spread of malaria? |
| April 28, 2004 Something in the air – the future of mosquito control in Tanzania? Dar es Salaam’s 2.5 million residents spend up to US$ 1 million each month on products to rid their homes of mosquitoes. Researchers from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine are seeking new methods that are more effective than sprays or coils and cheaper than electrical vaporising mats. |
| April 28, 2004 Artemether-lumefantrine: is it effective for treating uncomplicated malaria? The World Health Organisation (WHO) is promoting artemisinin combination therapy to combat emerging malaria drug resistance. Artemether-lumefantrine is one such combination and is the only fixed-dose artemisinin combination widely available. Cochrane Infectious Diseases Group, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM), UK |
| April 28, 2004 Why does malaria lead to fits in some young children? Why do some children infected with malaria have fits? Is the predisposition passed from parent to child? |
| April 9, 2004 Going the distance – measuring physical access to malaria services in Kenya Prompt diagnosis and treatment of malaria are key objectives for the international Roll Back Malaria (RBM) programme. But routine monitoring of physical access to services is rare. |
| April 9, 2004 Matching policy with practice: effectively treating childhood fever in Kenya Many believe that the key to reducing childhood mortality associated with malaria lies in effective, early treatment of fevers. The kind of treatment sought, at what stage and from what service provider remains key to the effectiveness of fever treatment in young children. |
| April 9, 2004 Fantastic plastic– malaria control in refugee camps using insecticide-treated tarpaulins Malaria prevention is rarely a top priority for agencies responding to a refugee crisis. Preventative strategies will only be effective if they place no extra demand on the emergency response. |
| May 16, 2003 Big risk? Malaria among pregnant women in low transmission areas Pregnant women have an enhanced risk of malaria in regions where transmission rates are high. Is this also true in areas of low transmission? Researchers from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine tackled this question in Byumba District Hospital, Rwanda. London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, UK |
| May 16, 2003 Rolling back reality: making malaria control accessible to all Effective tools to control malaria are available now but are not being accessed by the populations in need. The prime example is insecticide- treated bednets (ITNs). Most malaria-carrying mosquitoes bite at night. Thus ITNs have been proven to reduce malaria infection and death rates by forming both a physical barrier against mosquitoes and, in the words of the World Health Organisation (WHO) ‘generating a chemical halo’ around the bed, repelling and killing mosquitoes. Kenya Medical Research Institute - Wellcome Trust Collaborative Programme |
| April 26, 2003 WHO TO SUPPORT PRODUCTION OF INDIGENOUS
ANTI-MALARIAL MEDICINE IN AFRICA he World Health Organization (WHO) is to provide technical support for the development and commercial production of dihydro- artemisinin, a plant-based anti-malarial medicine reputed to have the highest cure rate for the disease, the WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr E.M. Samba, has said. World Health Organisation - Regional Office for Africa |
| April 26, 2003 DR SAMBA URGES PROTECTION OF PREGNANT WOMEN, CHILDREN FROM MALARIA "As we commemorate Africa Malaria Day 2003, I call on our collaborators and partners to join hands with governments of the Region to protect our pregnant women and children". World Health Organisation - Regional Office for Africa |
| April 26, 2003 THE UNACCEPTABLE SUFFERING OF PREGNANT WOMEN IN MALARIA COUNTRIES Each year at least 30 million women are exposed to malaria infection during their pregnancy, a moment when their immunity is usually low. Pregnant women with a malaria infection usually do not feel sick and do not take any treatment but are often anaemic and deliver smaller babies who are more vulnerable to common childhood diseases. PREMA-EU |
| December 2, 2002 Researchers question authenticity of new malaria drug A new investigation by The Scientist magazine reveals that some researchers believe the anti-malaria drug Malarex has not been adequately tested or, worse still, may be a fraud. The drug, touted by its Canadian manufacturer Millenia Hope as safe and effective, is already approved for sale by five African nations. However, respected researchers point to a serious lack of basic research on this drug, which is based on a herbal remedy The Scientist |
| November 10, 2002 Genetic Variant Protects People Against Malaria An international team of scientists has discovered a novel genetic trait that protects its carriers against the deadliest forms of malaria, while people without the trait are more likely to succumb to its fatal consequences. dukemednews |
| October 29, 2002 Malaria in pregnancy - still high-risk after 20 years of research Research two decades ago showed that malaria infection in pregnant Gambian women increased the health risks for mother and baby. A new study by the Medical Research Council Laboratories in Fajara shows that the situation has not improved. Medical Research Council |
| October 3, 2002 Malaria genomes decoded: New drugs, new insecticides expected to revive struggle against a major killer The decoding of the genomes of the most dangerous malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum, and of the most important mosquito which transmits it, Anopheles gambiae, signal a turning point for global public health. WHO Tropical Disease Research |
| June 18, 2002 Mosquito net not a top priority in homes Asked when the child last saw a doctor, several of the women in line, all carrying small children, rolled their eyes and laughed. "There are no doctors here," said Mrs. Namayanya, her face lined with years of grinding poverty. Asked if the child slept under a mosquito net, like the ones advertised throughout Uganda on radio and billboards as the first line of defense against malaria, Mrs. Namayanya smiled again, as if the answer were obvious. At $5, a net was far too expensive, she said. Malaria |
| June 18, 2002 DDT: Malaria's answer in Africa? To grasp the toll and terror of malaria in the world today, Harvard University's Amir Attaran offers a visual device: Imagine seven jumbo jets, each packed with women and children, crashing into the ground every day, day after day, year after year, adding up to more than 2 million deaths a year. Now imagine that many, if not most, of those deaths could have been prevented with limited use of DDT, the chemical insecticide that brings a grimace of revulsion, fear and horror at its mention. Malaria |
| April 26, 2002 Uganda targets child killer on Africa Malaria Day Getting the right drugs quickly to sick children would save many of the one million lives lost each year to malaria. But for most African children--who are the main victims of this shocking and avoidable death toll--the drugs are either not available or not effective. Africa Malaria Day |
| April 13, 2002 Africa Malaria Day 2002
Mobilizing Communities to Roll Back Malaria Africa Malaria Day 2002 marks the second anniversary of the signing of the Abuja Declaration whereby 44 African Heads of State committed themselves to rolling back malaria. This year focuses on the essential function of communities in the fight against malaria. Africa Malaria Day |