CONTENTS | ANB-BIA HOMEPAGE | WEEKLY NEWS
|
Africa |
SOCIAL ACTION
Malaria is still a major killer disease in many parts of the world
25 April 2002 marked the first anniversary of African Malaria Day, which came one year after the Abuja Declaration promoting the Roll Back Malaria Initiative.
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) — the World Bank — the World Health Organisation (WHO)’s Special programme for Research and Training in tropical Diseases (TDR) states that Malaria ranks among the twelve leading causes of Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALY)s in the world.
The TDR was established at the 27th World Health Assembly (WHA) in May 1978, when member States passed a Resolution calling on the director-general to intensify WHO‘s research into tropical diseases, with the stipulation that such research was to be carried out, as far as possible, in endemic countries.
But, its «informal» origins, however, can be traced back to 1958 and the tenth anniversary of WHO, when the WHA accepted the extra-budgetary contributions of the United States, which developed into the WHO‘s intensified medical research programme.
In 1978, the programme was given a formal structure on the basis of co-sponsorship by UNDP, the World Bank and WHO, and the functions, composition and operations of its administrative and technical structures were defined in a Memorandum of Understanding (the Memorandum of Understanding on the Administrative and Technical Structures of the Special programme for Research and Training in tropical Diseases. Geneva, TDR, 1978 — Document No. TDR/CP/78.5/ Rev. 88 «Statute».)
Discovery of Malaria
Let’s now take a look at how and when malaria became known to the medical world.
In 1876, Patrick Manson undertook some preliminary work on how a blood sucking insect, which he eventually decided had to be a mosquito, can act as a carrier of disease from one human host to another. But it was not until 1889 that the Australian Bancroft discovered the true transmission cycle.
On 6 November 1880, a young French Army Surgeon, Alphonse Laveran, while in Algeria, correctly identified the parasites that cause malaria. Among those interested in this discovery was Major Ronald Ross who was a surgeon in the Indian Medical Service. In 1894, Manson showed him the malaria parasites and in November of the same year, while walking in London, Manson turned to Ross and said: «Do you know that have formed a theory that mosquitos carry malaria just as they carry filariae?» (Editor’s note: A filaria is a parasitic nematode worm that lives in the blood of vertebrates and is transmitted by insects. This is the cause of filariasis — a disease common in tropical and subtropical countries).
But Manson was still ignorant of the mode of transmission, which he believed was after the death of the egg-laying female mosquito in water which was then used for drinking purposes.
Both Ross and Manson continued their investigations and by 1900, Manson had made the final proof of mosquito transmission of malaria in human beings.
Malaria in Kenya
In Kenya, malaria accounts for 30% of outpatient attendance in health institutions, and 19% of hospitalized admissions, 5.1% of whom die from complications of the disease. yet, according to studies conducted by the Kenya Medical Research Council (KEMRI)’s base in Kilifi (Coast Province), over 70% of malaria patients did not seek treatment from any health institution.
Professor Kevin Marsh, seconded to the KEMRI base from the University of Liverpool, UK, said: «This means that they buy anti-malaria drugs from shops and kiosks without prescription. Most of the patients end up abusing the drugs, hence the resistance problem».
Chloraquin-based drugs are relatively cheap, although many people are allergic to the quinine content, complaining of itching.
However, parasites have now developed resistance against Chloraquin-based drugs and these are now banned. Nevertheless, they are still being sold. Although the government had approved the use of Fansidar, clinical tests revealed that it took too long to have any real effect, raising fears of the disease developing resistance against it.
So far, a sound vaccine against malaria has not yet been found in spite of clinical trials made by such people as the Columbian scientist, Dr. Manuel Patarroyo and his team whose vaccine was supposed to interrupt the life-cycle as the malaria parasite tried to invade the red blood cells.
Professor Marsh said: «A malaria vaccine is a long way off. It might even be overtaken by a vaccine for HIV/AIDS.
Making the problem worse is that those diseases which primarily effect the poorest, do not constitute an attractive market for drug developers. As assessment of 1,233 drugs which arrived on the market between 1975 and 1995, found that only thirteen products were specifically approved for tropical diseases.
Another problem is that the mergers between the major pharmaceutical companies are likely to have a negative effect on new discoveries and developments. And in the long run, one wonders if the poor will be able to afford the price of drugs.
ENGLISH CONTENTS | ANB-BIA HOMEPAGE | WEEKLY NEWS
PeaceLink 2002 - Reproduction authorised, with usual acknowledgement