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Dan Herman
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Malaria: Africa's #1 Killer
November 16, 2005 - 05:09 AM
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The BBC is hosting the following discussion, which I thought we should mirror here at TIG. What are your thoughts on Africa's #1 killer.
An estimated 3,000 children die every day from malaria in Africa although this loss of life is largely avoidable and preventable.
Despite years of research and a number of international initiatives, no effective vaccine has yet emerged.
Why is this age old parasite still killing our loved ones? What should be done to at least halve the number of people affected by malaria? Other parts of the world have rid themselves of malaria, why hasn't Africa?
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Dan Herman
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Re: Malaria: Africa's #1 Killer
November 16, 2005 - 01:06 AM
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Indeed, it is evident that many of the failures of the past haunt today and today's generation. What recommendations do you have to solve such health issues given your focus on politics?
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Dereje Amera
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Re: Malaria: Africa's #1 Killer
November 16, 2005 - 06:07 AM
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The number one killer in Africa is politics and politicians- malaria, AIDs, and other are major effects of such consequences. Leadership, is a very important and most great ingredients in Africa. If Africa had great leaders in past 100 years, many of the problems as we see today, would not be considered here and be an issue every day.
Problems are not evils, but rather they give us an apportunity to learn something from them on solving and eradicating them; but if same problem persists like for decades, here the matter lies not on the problem, but on our approaches toward them, which demands better management and great leadership skills, which Africa has failed.
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affodégon
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malaria kills more than the AIDS
November 17, 2005 - 02:57 AM
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Malaria kills a child every 30 seconds in Africa and between 1 and 3 million people per annum, according to estimates' of WHO. Two billion individuals, is 40% of the world population, are exposed and one estimates at 500 million the occurring number of clinical cases each year. The existing means of fight are the drugs antipaludéens (of which most known are chloroquine or quinine) and the fight against the mosquitos vectors of the Plasmodium parasite. But the situation is all the more alarming as for several years, the parasites have developed resistances to the drugs more and more, and that the mosquitos develop resistances to insecticides. No vaccine is available today.
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Dan Herman
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Re: Malaria: Africa's #1 Killer
November 29, 2005 - 08:35 AM
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Now while the focus on vaccines is great - the root of the problem is poverty, and most people's inability to afford a treated mosquito net. In Sierra Leone, for example, malaria is as common as the common cold is in North America - despite the deadly consequences. The price of a net, $3, is not worth the investment for many.
It has been theorized (Harrison) that by supplying 000s of nets throughout a country, a government would quickly recoup its investment through increased productivity, decreased absences and long term educational developments.
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Christian
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Poverty is not the only cause.
November 29, 2005 - 10:12 AM
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Yes, you have all spoken well on this issue of Malaria which is regarded as the major killer in African.Equally, efforts at producing effective vacine is of much importantance when we consider the recorded resistance to existing drugs.
However,i will not place it all at the doorstep of poverty because therte are basic hygine which we tend to neglect.A look at most sorroundings depicts poor attitude to sanitation as it relates to Africa.
Also, the Government shares a big responsibility to this cause as our environmental and waste dispossal means works at the lowest ebb.
I think we will begin to address the Millenium Development Goal from this point as it emphasises on environmntal management.
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Mikael
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Re: Malaria: Africa's #1 Killer
November 29, 2005 - 12:17 PM
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I'm working on a project about anti-malaria drugs now. This is a very topical subject because resistance to commonly used anti-malarials has become a real problem in many areas of the world. Fortunately new drugs are being developed to combat the disease, but there's always the question of the efforts being timely enough and in large enough quantity.
In fact, this ties in quite nicely with the idea of 'neglected diseases', about which I'm involved in organizing a conference in Montreal in March 2006. These diseases, like malaria, have not been in the forefront of the research world for many years because they are mainly a problem of developing countries, where the market is limited at best. It's sad to say, but sometimes research only increases into treatments for diseases like malaria once it spreads more into developed nations, for example by international travel. There's currently an initiative called DNDi, the Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative; you should check out their website: http://www.dndi.org/.
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affodégon
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the African government are also responsible
December 2, 2005 - 03:00 AM
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it is clear that poverty with its share of responsibility but the African government are a great responsability in the heradication of this disease. For example they can create a joint project of seeks on the vacin against the malaria financed by all the States africains.this is a common disease, one must fight then together against this disease
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Mikael
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Re: Malaria: Africa's #1 Killer
December 2, 2005 - 03:29 AM
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I agree with DanHerman... I spoke recently with the Chairperson of the Microbiology and Immunology department at my university, and he mentioned something interesting to me regarding "low-tech" ways of fighting diseases like malaria:
In this case, he was discussing leishmania and the transmission vector, which is the sandfly. Apparently the sandfly loves to drink nectar from the Bougainvillea plant; drinking this nectar prevents the sandfly from transmitting leishmania to humans (this has been demonstrated scientifically). So, theoretically, if there are lots of bougainvillea plants planted around houses in affected areas, this could help slow the spread of the disease because it would compromise the method of transmission.
And then, of course, there are bed nets against malaria, for example - all simple things that can be done, relatively inexpensively, and which can have a huge impact!
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