Malaria Minute, 23 August 2019
World Mosquito Day celebrations take place, researchers culture malaria parasites similar to P. vivax in vitro and entomologists gather in London for the Ento ’19 scientific meeting. Listen to this Podcast
23 August 2019 | Transcript
Interview with Pedro Alonso, Director of the WHO Global Malaria Programme, following the publication of the report "Malaria eradication: benefits, future scenarios and feasibility" by the WHO Strategic Advisory Group on Malaria Eradication. This report concludes that with our current tools, we are far from a malaria-free world.
Teams testing mosquitoes that are being considered for field release, their advisors, policy makers and donors often talk about ‘large cage trials’, but how large must a cage be for mosquito trials to qualify for that title? Is the proper metric its volume or stimulation of behavioral characteristics for a cage that provides the data we need? Perhaps the real value of large cage testing is neither of these but its independence.
23 August 2019 | Report
After its 3-year study of trends and future projections for the factors and determinants that underpin malaria, the Strategic Advisory Group on Malaria Eradication (SAGme) reaffirms that eradication is a goal worth pursuing, likely to save millions of lives and billions of dollars. However, with our current tools, we are far from a malaria-free world.
23 August 2019, News release
IN 30 SECONDS: Today, most malaria mosquitoes in Tanzania are resistant to multiple insecticides, and Anopheles funestus is the hardiest of them all. They are regularly observed surviving up to 10 times higher insecticide doses than other malaria vectors. Unfortunately, there are currently no more than three insecticides registered in Tanzania that can effectively kill the mosquitoes. And if we do not deploy these available chemicals cleverly, we will lose this battle too. So, what then must we do? Well, in addition to current practices such as ITNs and house-spraying, we must begin a more sustainable program for improved housing and environmental management so that we may make our communities everlastingly free of the dangerous Anopheles. We must also continue strengthening our health systems to identify and treat new malaria cases. And we must expand access to health education in schools and households. Without these improvements, the deadly predators will most certainly continue dancing in our bedrooms.
Malaria Minute, 16 August 2019
Malaria outbreak in Burundi reaches epidemic proportions and the pilot implementation programme of the RTS,S vaccine begins in Kenya. Listen to this Podcast
The Malaria Eradication Scientific Alliance (MESA) is seeking three volunteer MESA Correspondents to report from the Pan-African Mosquito Control Association (PAMCA) annual conference in Yaounde, Cameroon, 23-25 September 2019.
Malaria Minute, 9 August 2019
Previous estimates of malaria mortality in sub-Saharan Africa may have been underestimated and researchers in America and Germany look to nature for novel antimalarial compounds. Listen to the Podcast
Malaria Minute, 2 August 2019
Researchers investigate the genes that cause insecticide resistance among malaria-carrying mosquitoes, The Global Fund launch their ‘Step Up The Fight’ awareness campaign and Alok Sharma is named as UK Secretary of State for International Development. Listen to this Podcast
Artemisias are used since millenaries and never any toxic effect was noticed. If there was one it would have been highlighted by Bigparma because the plant competes with their pills.
The WHO guidelines state that, if the herbal product has been traditionally used without demonstrated harm, no specific restrictive action should be undertaken. In this case WHO maintains the position that there is no requirement for pre-clinical toxicity testing. Pre-clinical toxicity testing is only required for new medicinal herbal products which contain herbs of no traditional history of use.
Malaria Minute, 26 July 2019
Drug-resistant P. falciparum spread to South East Asia, researchers at LSTM uncover the mode of action of primaquine and the International Health journal will become open-access in 2020. Listen to this Podcast
Malaria Minute, 19 July 2019
Understanding human behaviour at night could reduce malaria transmission, study shows how the mosquito immune system combats malaria parasites and a researcher uncovers new insights into mosquito feeding behaviours. Listen to this Podcast
Malaria Minute, 12 July 2019
The results of an extended Phase 3 RTS,S clinical trial are published in The Lancet, and researchers develop a high-tech mosquito net that monitors usage. Listen to this Podcast
Malaria Minute, 5 July 2019
The UK government announces new funding pledge for The Global Fund, a takes place in Les Diablerets and climate warming could increase malaria risk in cooler regions. Listen to this Podcast
Day 3: Friday, 28th June
Wrapping up the 7th International Conference on Plasmodium vivax Research, day three focused on the topics of P. vivax drugs and approaches for P. vivax elimination.
Day 2: Thursday, 27th June
The main focus of the presentations on day two of the 7th International Conference on Plasmodium vivax Research was on laboratory exploration of P. vivax biological characteristics, parasite development stages and host-parasite interaction. There was a lively poster session during the lunch period and a conference dinner at the magnificent Musée d’Orsay.
Malaria Minute, 28 June 2019
Scientists gather in Paris for the 7th International Conference on Plasmodium vivax Research, high-resolution maps chart P. falciparum and P. vivax prevalence over seventeen years and Brian Gitta is named a laureate for developing a new method of malaria diagnosis. Listen to this Podcast
2018 was the first year of the RBM Partnership to End Malaria’s 2018–2020 Strategic Plan (see page 7), which aims to use the partnership to boost political commitment, regional cooperation and malaria financing. The Partnership, through consultations with partners and malaria-endemic countries, launched new initiatives in support of global efforts to end malaria.
Download the RBM Partnership To End Malaria Annual Report 2018 here
Mary Mael and Maria Tusell*
Participants in the Science of Eradication: Malaria course shared a sense of optimism and agreed on the need for leadership and data-driven decision-making in the fight against this disease
“Collaboration” was probably the word most heard when asking the participants of the 8th edition of the Science of Eradication: Malaria course how they thought the fight against malaria could be improved. Even though progress has stalled, as highlighted by the head of the Global Malaria Programme, Pedro Alonso, in the opening lecture, participants left Barcelona with a shared feeling of optimism and a perception that with commitment, a multidisciplinary approach to the disease and data-driven decisions; malaria control, elimination and eradication are indeed achievable goals.
Malaria Minute, 21 June 2019
New WHO report tracks the progress of 21 countries in eradicating malaria, the BBC investigate the sale of government drugs in Uganda and Professor Tu YouYou offers her recommendations to prevent artemisinin resistance. Listen to this Podcast
Creating a malaria-free world is a bold and important public health and sustainable development goal. It is also the vision of the Global technical strategy for malaria 2016-2030, which calls for the elimination of malaria in at least 10 countries by the year 2020.
In 2016, WHO identified 21 countries, spanning 5 regions, that could defeat malaria by 2020, considering the likelihood of elimination across key criteria. All are united by one target: to achieve zero indigenous cases of malaria within the 2020 timeline. This report charts their progress.
Download the E-2020 initiative of 21 malaria-eliminating countries: 2019 progress report here
The MESA Correspondent volunteers report on the latest in malaria research from conferences around the world. The synopses are shared online, enabling people who could not attend the meeting to read about the latest advances. The MESA Correspondents Program is a collaboration between MESA and the conference organizers.
IN 30 SECONDS: Mosquitoes spread diseases to millions of people around the world, yet they remain poorly understood by most. Of particular interest among these diseases is malaria in Africa, transmitted predominantly by four cruel members of the Anopheles family. This article is an abridged illustration of the many biological intrigues in the lives of malaria mosquitoes. The more we understand it, the closer we will get to “zero malaria”. And we must do so with as few deaths as possible
Malaria Minute, 14 June 2019
Big data allows scientists to produce malaria ‘risk maps’ in Bangladesh and Indian researchers develop a new paper-based method of malaria detection.
Malaria Minute, 7 June 2019
A new study finds that fungus, genetically enhanced to produce spider toxin, can kill a large-number of malaria-carrying mosquitos.
Malaria Minute, 24 May 2019
The BioMalPar conference takes place in Germany, Venezuela experiences malaria resurgence in humanitarian crisis and the BBC showcase efforts to fight malaria in Sierra Leone.
