Professor Halidou Tinto (Institute of Research in Health Sciences (IRSS) - Clinical Research Unit of Nanoro (CRUN), Burkina Faso) discusses his research activities on malaria clinical trials and reflects on all the challenges faced during 2020 and how he foresees 2021.
Vector-borne diseases (VBDs) result in high levels of morbidity and mortality, and disproportionately affect some of the world's poorest populations. However, there are currently few effective tools to combat transmission of vector-borne pathogens, making the development of new tools and strategies of paramount importance.
In an April 10 interview, American philanthropist Melinda Gates expressed her belief that the coronavirus pandemic will have the worst impact in the developing world. She said she foresees bodies lying around in the street of African countries. It is quite surprising to see that although there have been shocking reports of hospitals overwhelmed with patients in the US and in other Western countries, the billionaire philanthropist and others like her still choose to talk about dead bodies in Africa. Gates is not the only one to be predicting total doom in Africa.
On 3–4 December 2020, the WHO Malaria Policy Advisory Group (MPAG) convened virtually to review updates and progress, and to provide guidance on thematic areas of work by the Global Malaria Programme. The virtual meeting focused on 5 topics: 1) an update on the Malaria surveillance assessment toolkit; 2) an update on the “High burden to high impact (HBHI)” approach, including a partner perspective from the RBM Partnership to End Malaria, use of strategic information to drive impact, and country support; 3) an update on the Global technical strategy for malaria 2016–2030 (GTS); 4) an update on the consolidated WHO Guidelines for malaria; and 5) an update on the Malaria Vaccine Implementation Programme (MVIP).
Bulletin 9 of the Mekong Malaria Elimination programme, World Health Organization Situation report, 21 December 2020
Despite the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic and antimalarial drug resistance, the 6 countries of the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) – Cambodia, China (Yunnan Province), the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Myanmar, Thailand and Viet Nam – have continued to achieve great progress towards the malaria elimination targets outlined in the Strategy for malaria elimination in the Greater Mekong subregion (2015-2030).
A lot of attention has been paid over the years to when exactly recurrent clinical Plasmodium vivax malarial episodes take place, both old and recent literature on this subject often being cited by authors today. Does this recurrence information prove much, however? In other words, how important is it to know details of the timing and frequency of non-reinfection recurrences when these recurrences are of unknown origin (as explained below)?
Opportunities for funding, training, as well as malaria events, are now centralised and organised in this new malaria calendar. Key dates and deadlines are collected in this new feature, enabling the malaria community to know what is happening and when and plan accordingly.
Add relevant entries to your calendar and share among your networks and colleagues to not miss any opportunity!
Malaria Minute, 18 December 2020
Researchers find that SUB2, a malaria parasite enzyme, helps the parasite survive in the human host and new research characterises cerebral malaria infection in adults and children.
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LOW ZINC STATUS: A RISK FOR PNEUMONIA IN THE ELDERLY
Plasma Zn decrease is strongly related to age and may be a predictor of all-cause mortality in elderly population. In a study in Italy plasma zinc levels were measured in individuals having an age range of 10–93 years. No significant differences in plasma zinc concentrations were found between males and females. Up to the age of 50 years, the mean plasma zinc of normal individuals remained relatively constant at 70 ± 32µg/100 ml after which the levels decreased.
Many of the talks that are available online have associated worksheets and activities that you can do. PAMCA and VectorBase have collaborated to host a free, virtual vector conference/workshop experience, primarily aimed at PAMCA student/ young investigators.
Many anecdotical or scientific results indicate that leaves and stems of Artemisia annua have different therapeutical properties, often higher for leaves, sometimes lower.
Our efforts so far to elucidate key factors explaining these differences have failed. Artemisinin, polyphenols, essential oils are higher in leaves, scopoletin sometimes lower. If the therapeutical properties against malaria, bacteria or nematodes, really are proportional to the concentration of these organic key constituants, the healing power of stems and twigs should be close to zero.
Malaria Minute, 11 December 2020
Researchers identify three biomarkers associated with gametocytes development that predict transmission potential, and the use of LAMP-based malaria diagnostic tools is evaluated.
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By Nothing but Nets, 30 November 2020
In 2020, El Salvador marked a major milestone in its long fight against malaria. It is the first Central American country to reach zero cases of malaria for three consecutive years and apply for the World Health Organization malaria-free certification.
What if there was an herb that could defeat the malaria parasite and save a thousand lives per day, every day? One you could grow in your backyard, which costs next to nothing, and could be easily available for everybody in need?
The Film THE FEVER portrays the fight against malaria in East Africa as a case study in greed, courage and self-determination.
Malaria Minute, 4 December 2020
The WHO publishes its annual World Malaria Report and a new article stresses the need for highly-effective vaccines to eliminate malaria.
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The misused plural words "malarias" and "plasmodia" have previously been mentioned in the MalariaWorld Newsletter (the former only in passing). Here, I highlight the usage problem by expanding on the subject.
This ASTMH Annual Meeting was intense! If you missed any of the sessions or want to recap what was discussed, you can read the summaries of more than 25 symposia written by the MESA Correspondents.
Monitoring and Evaluation of Malaria in Pregnancy Services: Practical Tips and Recommended Indicators
The 2020 edition of the World malaria report takes a historical look at key milestones that helped shape the global response to the disease over the last 2 decades – a period of unprecedented success in malaria control. The report features a detailed analysis on progress towards the 2020 milestones of WHO’s global malaria strategy and a special section on malaria and the COVID-19 pandemic.
WHO calls for reinvigorated action to fight malaria
Malaria Minute, 27 November 2020
Pb22, a protein expressed by Plasmodium berghei, may play an important role in the transmission of malaria, and review on the use of tafenoquine finds that the drug is well-tolerated and effective.
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Brochure
This brochure complements the Report on antimalarial drug efficacy, resistance and response: 10 years of surveillance (2010–2019). It includes the report's main findings, key definitions and background information for non-experts.
MESA Correspondents reporting from the ASTMH 2020 Annual Meeting (virtual)
Day 5: Thursday, 19th November 2020
MESA Correspondents bring you cutting-edge coverage from the virtual ASTMH 2020 Annual Meeting
Day 4: Wednesday, 18th November 2020
MESA Correspondents bring you cutting-edge coverage from the virtual ASTMH 2020 Annual Meeting
Day 3: Tuesday, 17th November 2020
Malaria Minute, 20 November 2020
Determining drug efficacy through parasite clearance half-life may underestimate the activity of some antimalarial drugs, and the WHO publishes new guidance on the use of genetically modified mosquitoes.
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MESA Correspondents bring you cutting-edge coverage from the virtual ASTMH 2020 Annual Meeting
Day 2: Monday, 16th November 2020
MESA Correspondents bring you cutting-edge coverage from the virtual ASTMH 2020 Annual Meeting
Day 1: Sunday, 15th November 2020
Are up to 80% or more of detectable Plasmodium vivax malarial recurrences relapses (a relapse being a hypnozoite-mediated recurrence)? This is a topical matter and a very interesting question.
