Malaria Treatment & Prevention

Indeed, drug development ought to remain a research priority in order to improve case management. But as long as prevention is perceived as a right of way and better than cure, you find out that it leaves you with limited options other than to tolerantly hang around for a unique breakthrough from Molecular Scientists to pace through and develop a vaccine that can prevent the unsympathetic activities of Plasmodium, the formidable foe since 1900. Augmenting that with insecticide treated bed-nets and empowering soon-to-be victims with practical preventive information may significantly reduce malaria incidence rates. We have been treating malaria for so long, let us now give prevention a chance.

You may be interested in the journal article on initial results from the Phase 3 efficacy trial of the RTS,S vaccine candidate published in the New England Journal of Medicine last October. You can link to it here:
http://www.malariavaccine.org/rd-trial-sites.php
There are additional resources listed on that page also, as well as on the MVI website overall.

-Mary(Found on LinkedIn Today)Ultrasound study provides first direct evidence of effect of malaria on fetal growthsciencedaily.comMary ScienceDaily (Feb. 9, 2012) — A study of almost 3800 pregnancies has provided the most accurate and direct evidence to date that malaria infection reduces early fetal growth. Low birth weight is the most important risk factor... (See more articles »)View Article | Reply to Mary Nnankya | Reply To All

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Like the other people have mentioned I don't think it is wise just to focus on drug development. Since time in memorial, use were and continued to remain the mainstay therapeutic option. Despite, it long use, malaria mortality and morbidity figures are still high especially in malaria endemic areas.With the success of vaccines in prevention and control of certain diseases like polio, smallpox etc coupled with the relative ineffectiveness of other malaria prevention and control interventions, a search for an effective malaria vaccine should be a priority more than ever before. I believe that an effective malaria vaccine coupled with other interventions, can serve as significant leverage in the campaign to eradicate malaria. Thus, the goal to succeffully prevent and control and eradicate malaria will be a probable reality rather than a far- fetched dream.

To succefully prevent and control and eradicate Malaria with the current well documentedannual deaths would be to have a commercially available vaccine, Indeed treatments for Malaria have been in existence for centuries way before 1900. Reality is "There is no vaccine against the this killer parasite to-date!!!!. Why? However there are some very efficient drugs for treatment and prophylaxis although not sufficient due to MDR . Maybe if more funds were directed towards Vaccine development with equal distribution towards research organizations within endemic areas might help, After all who better than those who are passionate towards eradicating Malaria can produce such needed solutions.

Dear all,

Please find link to some interesting developments towards Malaria treatment.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/health_medicine/malaria/

Regards

Mary

Dear all:
I cannot let Peter James comment go un answered. I think there are two important issues that should affect the way funding for malaria goes, particularly from the standpoint of sustainable control. First the drugs (or the drug as there is only one universally applicable). We cannot depend on the eternal efficacy of artemisinin, and a replacement is essential NOW. Research on drug development must be accelerated with accent on basic science and innovation. It would be disastrous to have to revert to quinine, as we must when resistance to artemisinin finally appears.
Second: Apart from transmission blocking vaccines, preventative vaccines are a myth against malaria. Successful use of vaccines has always to target a naïve population, not a population that is already exposed to the parasite, even from the stage of being a foetus. Conceptually immunologists need to address this reality. I argue that the minimal response to three (three innocula over 3 weeks) doses, is because many of the children immunized were already loaded with plasmodium antigens from previous infections. I would like to see that resolved before we spend another vast sum of money producing a white elephant!

Clive Shiff