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Articles for November 2005
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A Model Fight Against Malaria  - New York Times Editorial
The New York Times correctly concludes that Zambia's malaria control program - which relies on ITNs, indoor spraying with insecticides (including DDT) and effective ACT medicines - will show the world how cost effective malaria control can be.
DDT Hysteria Has Killed Millions of People  - Harold M. Koenig, M.D.
Harodl M Koenig and others support the recent Wall Street Journal's recent editorial that calls for US funding of DDT spraying against malaria.
Research finds HIV, malaria co-infected women more likely to pass HIV to foetus  - Xinhua
The report finds HIV positive mothers might be more likely to pass the virus to their children in uterus if they are also infected with malaria.
Anti-malaria genes cancel each other out  - United Press International
Scientists studying the two genes that protect carriers from malaria have found that carrying both is like having neither.
Rolling back malaria  - Matthew Burbidge
Matthew Burbidge writes about malaria in Mozambique and the success of IRS programs. Donors need to pay attention to the successful malaria control programs in this poor and undeveloped country - they are a good model for other malarial areas.
New Results Show the RTS,S Malaria Vaccine Candidate  -
Fourteen hundred forty-two children received a three-dose regimen of the first malaria vaccine in 2003. 18 months later the vaccine has significantly reduced clinical malaria episodes by 35 percent and severe malaria episodes by 49 percent.
Malaria vaccine trial brings hope  - Mail & Guardian
Children in Mozambique are still showing signs of resistance to the malaria parasite after being vaccinated more than 18 months ago.
WHO must take side of malaria victims  - Philip Stevens
The WHO has finally recognised that an Indoor Residual Programme using DDT has the potential to save millions of lives...
DDT Saves Lives  - Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal runs an excellent and hard hitting editorial on the need for DDT to combat malaria. With regard to USAID's malaria control, program, they correctly conclude that " it's time for Congress to exercise some adult supervision."

WHO to push DDT use in new malaria fight  - Tamar Kahn
Roll Back Malaria seem to be endorsing DDT for malaria control, which seems like a step in the right direction. If you read their new strategic plan, their endorsement of DDT is very qualified. In any event, it remains to be seen whether the major donors, like USAID, will actually procure DDT.
Malaria kills 400 Ugandans daily  - Isaac Kalembe
There is still no scientific proof to prove that DDT is harmful to man, animals or the environment....on the contrary many small villages in Uganda are benefiting from the use of the insecticide to control malaria
GSK malaria vaccine boosted by Gates grant  - Datamonitor Newswire
A $107.6 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is set to enable the Malaria Vaccine Initiative to extend its partnership with GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals to develop the company's malaria vaccine for children in Africa.
Health Minister launches new malaria drug campaign  - Ghana News Today
The Health Minister of Ghana, Major Courage Quashigah, recently launched the national campaign for the policy on the new anti-malaria drug, Artesunate-Amodiaquine, with a call on Ghanaians to ensure a reduction in the incidence of malaria.
Climate change linked to rise in malaria, asthma  - Timothy Gardner
A new report claims that climate change may promote the spread of deadly diseases like malaria and asthma in both rich and poor countries by increasing the range of parasitic insects and whipping up dust from storms.
Gates grants US$250m to help NGOs fight malaria  - China Daily
The Gates Foundation has pledged further money in the fight against malaria, so far the money has made significant in-roads in developing a vaccine. But in the interim why not use some of the money to fund the most effective control measure currently available - IRS using DDT?

Malaria, a Silent But Serious Killer

One of the reasons malaria is dreaded is because of its high mobility and disability instances. It kills 3,000 children a day, a death toll that is far greater than HIV/Aids mortality.

According to a World Health Organisation (WHO) 2003 report, malaria is the greatest cause of mortality in Africa. It normally affects children under the age of five mainly because they have not yet had a chance to develop partial immunity to the disease.

This causes them to suffer about three to four bouts of infection a year.

Cerebral malaria (CM) is the most severe neurological complication of malaria. Patients with such a situation present one to three days with fever, seizures and coma.

Affected children can die within 48 to 72 hours of developing symptoms so it is better for a child to be rushed to hospital before they suffer from cerebral malaria.

With cerebral malaria, mortality is still estimated at 15 percent and about 11 percent of the survivors have gross neurological effects upon discharge.

Pregnant women are also at a high risk of the disease because the pregnancy lowers the mother's immunity making her susceptible to repeated infections. The parasite kills the red blood cells and causes severe anaemia. Anaemia is the major factor contributing to maternal deaths in malaria endemic regions.

Magnitude

One of the reasons why malaria is dreaded is because of the high mobility and disability instances associated with it.

It kills 3,000 children a day, a death toll that is far greater than HIV/Aids mortality. Children who survive death many times suffer impaired physical and intellectual development.

AT RISK: Expectant mothers are vulnerable to malaria because pregnancy lowers their immunity, making them susceptible to repeated infections.

The areas most hit by the disease are the rural and agricultural communities that comprise the majority of Africa's population. This group is comprised of the poor who can barely afford to prevent or even treat the disease.

Malaria has been associated with the increasing poverty in Africa because the intensity of its transmission coincides with the rainy season.

This is the time when agricultural activity is most dynamic but due to the disease, the farmers end up not working.

According to a recent study by Harvard University, malaria has the effect of slowing down economic growth by 1.3 percent a year. Over the last 30 years, Africa as a whole has lost at least $100b dollars due to malaria.

Unfortunately, since the advent of the HIV/Aids pandemic two decades ago, the fight against malaria has somehow been pushed to the back of health planners' minds. So far, over 40 million people have died of malaria.

Just like HIV/Aids, no effective vaccine has been developed despite researchers' efforts to get one.

Almost all the drugs used in treating malaria are not effective. At the same time, the mosquito that spreads the infection is also showing increasing resistance to many insecticides.

Hope in treatment

However in spite of the disease's resistance to drugs, malaria is curable. It can be done away with if the drugs are enough and used properly, and above all used by those at great risk. If these are improved, malaria can be reduced, as has been the case in many countries.

"Dichloro Diphenyl Trichloroethane (DDT) remains the best alternative to fighting malaria and the earlier it is used the better," says Dr. Seggane Musisi, a senior consultant psychiatrist in Mulago Hospital.

"Well, it may have some side effects but this is not an issue given the rate at which malaria is killing people in Africa which cannot be rated to the trivial side effects of DDT pointed out by those against its usage," he says.

A few months ago, EU representatives threatened Ugandan ministers that if Uganda chose to use DDT for malaria control, exporters would have to procure expensive equipment to ensure that their products do not contain any amount of residual DDT; otherwise they would face sanctions against their agricultural products.

Given the chemical's success at reducing the incidence of malaria in southern African nations, Uganda and other African countries are also considering using the chemical to battle the deadly malaria. According to the minister of health, Jim Muhwezi "DDT has been proven, over and over again, to be the most effective and least expensive method of fighting malaria." "Europe and America became malaria-free because of using DDT, and now we too intend to get rid of malaria by using it," he added.

Meanwhile, the President of the Association (USHS), Professor Konde Lule stressed that medical scientists have come up with new drugs of Coartem as another alternative to malaria treatment and added that the drugs are expected to reach Uganda towards the end of this year.

Developed and produced by the UK-based Novartis and its Chinese partners, Coartem is currently the only fixed-dose artemisinin-based combination therapy pre-qualified by WHO for acquisition by United Nations agencies.

Asked why malaria is most prevalent in Africa, Dr. Seggane attributed it to political instabilities. "Due to wars, millions of Africans have been displaced, traumatised, impoverished and starved, leaving them vulnerable and with little or no financial ability to prevent or fight disease."

allAfrica.com
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