The Nation Newspaper

Tag: malaria

  • Group partners special olympics in fight against malaria

    Effective fight against the malaria scourge requires that both the community and the athletes be educated on preventive measures to forestall spread of the disease, the National Director, Special Olympics, Nigeria, Naomi Saliu-Lawal, has said.

    She stated this during the World Malaria Day held in Lagos at the weekend.

    Titled ‘Kick Against Malaria Football Tournament’, the event featured free malaria testing and treatment, health talk on malaria, football tournament, free insecticides and treated bed net as well as free health forum.

    The event which was held in partnership with the Youth Empowerment and Development Initiative (YEDI) was sponsored by ExxonMobil and supported by Coca-Cola.

    Saliu-Lawal stressed the need to educate athletes and preventive measures they can adopt in their homes to prevent malaria adding that the disease can be deadly.

    According to her, studies have shown that people with intellectual disability are prone to malaria because they need health care more than people without intellectual ability.

    The training she said would provide education and knowledge testing materials for our athletes adding that what makes this year special is the incorporation of people with intellectual disability.

    At the end of the day it is expected that fewer mortality from malaria will be recorded. ‘May be most people have died of malaria just out of ignorance, we are hoping we can educate our athletes and educate the community that you don’t need to go the hospital to really know about the basic symptoms of malaria’, she noted

    ‘We want them to be part of the community because there is ability in disability; we train and let them know that there is something in them,’ she added.

    Special Olympics Nigeria she said has over the years brought Special Olympics opportunities to individuals with intellectual disabilities in the country; an initiative she noted has helped break the barrier of cultural inhibitions as regards the issue of intellectual disability in the society.

    They are currently in 25 states in Nigeria, spread across five geo-political zones including South West, South East, South South, North Central and North West

    Executive Director, Youth Empowerment and Development Initiative (YEDI), Anu Ishola said the group through its grassroots soccer programme has carried interventions for more than 40,000 children in over 400 schools in Lagos, Akwa Ibom and Ogun States, adding that plans are in the pipeline to extend operations to Abuja and Rivers States.

    She said the group was committed to introducing effective and innovative approaches to mobilising, educating, empowering and inspiring the young people in communities in the country.

    Ishola revealed that through its various programmes, the group equips young people with basic and relevant life-coping skills, and provides them a platform to have important discussions about life, take guided steps to achieving their goals, stay strong when faced with challenges, and protect themselves and others from diseases such as HIV/AIDS and malaria.

    ‘One of the reasons we are here today is to celebrate our students and people that participate; we are here to learn, have fun and we are here to be inspired and hopefully get some information to make informed decisions in life’, she said adding, that in terms of reach in behavioural changes information, we have done quite well.

    However, convincing people that we are here for the right meeting and of course financial factor are part of the challenges confronting the effective operation of the group.

    According to her many see non-governmental organisations as avenue to enriching individual pockets; a development she said has given such efforts bad name. She however assured commitment to rebuilding the trust people have about non-governmental organisations.

  • Firm, NGO partner on malaria prevention

    In commemoration of this year’s World Malaria Day, ExxonMobil has partnered with Youth Empowerment and Development Initiative (YEDI) to combat the disease, with a  tournament tagged: Kick against malaria football tournament. The tournament, now in its third year, was held at Q.I.C Primary School, Usung Inyang, in Akwa Ibom State.

    According to ExxonMobil, sustained efforts by corporations, individuals and organisations on Malaria awareness, prevention and control are yielding results as Malaria mortality rate in the WHO African region has fallen by 54 percent and by 47percent globally since 2000. And since that year (2000), ExxonMobil has become a leading private investor in Malaria, with an investment of over $120 million that has seen the distribution of 13,186,369 bed nets, 1,922,031 doses of anti-malarial drugs and 1,054,165 rapid diagnostic kits. This intervention which has reached more than 105 million people in Africa and Asia has trained of 355,484 healthcare workers and counsellors, as early diagnosis and treatment reduce the disease, prevent deaths and reduce transmission. Since 2013, ExxonMobil has  sponsored Youth Empowerment and Development Initiative (YEDI) with the Kick Against Malaria Football Tournament to provide Malaria Testing and Treatment, Free Health Services, Insecticide-Treated Net Distribution, and much more to communities in Nigeria.

  • ‘Malaria prevention can save billions’

    MAlaria prevention can save Nigeria billions of Naira as curing the disease is more expensive than preventing it.

    Efforts  have been made by various groups to prevent the disease. For instance,  the Society for Family Health (SFH), has encouraged the use of mosquito nets  by distributing same freely (Long Lasting Insecticidal Nets freely).

    According to Safurat Eromosele of SFH, “LLINs are factory-treated mosquito nets that are safe, easy to use, and come in a variety of sizes and colours to address individual needs. Some LLINs are effective for up to four years and will last a minimum of 20 washes – they require no re-treatment during this time, making them five to 10 times more effective than conventional re-treatable mosquito nets.LLINs are an inexpensive and easy way to prevent malaria and thus reduce its burden on the health and economic well-being of Nigerians. SFH uses its extensive marketing and distribution channels to move LLINs all across Nigeria so that they are available to everyone, particularly women and children.”

    She said when prevention fails, treatment of malaria is critical. “In seeking treatment for malaria, some mothers are given the wrong drugs for their children, while others find treatment options confusing and difficult to complete the dosage.

    In 2003, SFH and other stakeholders developed an innovative approach to “pre-package” malaria treatment for easy use by mothers and families to rapidly and correctly treat malaria. SFH’s treatment programmes to combat malaria are focused on promoting and distributing an innovative and effective drug for malaria, called Artemisinin-based Combination Therapy (ACT). This is  an easy way to use pre-packaged drug combination that ensures effective treatment of malaria for children and adults as well. Now, SFH promotes ACT treatment using the pre-packaged method and distributes this product throughout Nigeria, especially in remote and rural communities. In 2014 alone, about 8.2 million doses of ACTs were distributed in the country.

    “SFH is actively engaged in behavioural change communication activities through mass media and community-based interpersonal communication activities to facilitate the adoption of positive behaviours by individuals and communities. These interpersonal communication activities available mostly in hard to reach communities, help to ensure that individuals are equipped with the right information and attitudes to prevent and treat malaria. SFH also works closely with the Federal Ministry of Health on technical matters, education, training, and coordinating on policy and research to move the nation forward on both prevention and treatment issues in the battle against malaria,” she stated.

    On other efforts to control the scourge,  she said, “SFH has four projects that address malaria – the Global Fund Malaria Project, the Expanded Social Marketing Project in Nigeria (ESMPIN), the Rapid Access Expansion (RAcE) Programme and the Africa Health Markets for Equity (AHME) Programme.

    ACTwatch collects data to inform evidence-based malaria control policies and programmes. Regardless of the giant strides made so far, more needs to be done to defeat this fight against malaria in Nigeria. This could be achieved by intensifying our efforts and exploring innovative approaches to tackle the disease. Behaviour change communication to increase use of malaria prevention is important in this regard.”

  • Why malaria remains a killer, by expert

    Why malaria remains a killer, by expert

    Despite the Federal Government’s strategies, such as insecticide treated nets and indoor residual spray, to curb malaria, the disease remains a killer, reports WALE ADEPOJU.

    Malaria, a disease transmitted by anopheles mosquito, is still killing many Nigerians, especially those in the rural areas where access to tests and modern drugs is limited.

    The Deputy Director, Research and Head of Malaria Research Programme, Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR), Dr Sam Awolola, said the disease is endemic in Nigeria because it is a tropical area.

    Besides, the disease is ancient and common in Africa, especially in Nigeria.

    “It is responsible for absenteeism at workplaces and, as such, affects productivity because of loss of man-hour,” he said.

    Explaining the mode of transmission, he said: “Malaria is caused by a parasite called plasmodium carried by an anopheles mosquito.

    “There are several species of plasmodium depending on where people are. (here are some that even attack animals, the one that attacks human is called plasmodium falciparum, this is found in Nigeria, other Africa countries and Asia”.

    Besides, 98 per cent of malaria is caused by mosquitoes having plasmodium falciparum.

    Malaria has become widespread in Nigeria because most environments are dirty and therefore become breeding ground for anopheles mosquitoes.

    Awolola went on: “An anopheles mosquito gets the parasites from an infected person through bites, then the parasites go into the mosquito to develop into what is called the infected stage and after two or three days the mosquito goes back to bite again and transmit the parasites into human body, so the gets the parasites it goes through the blood it gets from human and goes to digest the blood and the parasites multiply in the mosquito and the subsequent blood meal which the mosquito gets is to introduce the parasites into another person, it might be the same person or another person.”

    The researcher said the most efficient mosquito, which transmits malaria parasites, is common in the country because of its geographical location.

    Awolola said artemisinim-based combination therapy (ACT) is the most effective drug for malaria treatment.

    Talking about cure, he said, chloroquine has failed. This, he said, is because there are parasites that have become resistant to it, particularly owing to its mismanagement, he added.

    He said chloroquine is still a very effective drug, however, but most people take substandard dosage while some do not take the required regimen and so the parasites have developed resistance to the drug. “This is why we changed from chloroquine and other monotherapies to ACT. ACT is a combination of two different drugs of two varying modes of action therefore it is very effective against the parasites. In Cambodia and other parts of Asia they have also resulted to ACT. That cannot mean there is no resistance to ACT. What we try to do at NMIR is to be vigilant. This effort is called pharmaco vigilance. We monitor the use of chloroquine in the field, and the parasites with reaction to chloroquine, we’ve researched into how the drug has been effective over the parasites over the years,” he said.

    For the prevention of the disease, he said there are three things which people must do.

    The first, they should use long lasting insecticide nets. There is also indoor residual spray where people put chemical on the wall of the houses thereby killing the mosquitoes that come in. Another method is to use personal preventive measures where people can use aerosol in the houses, people can wear long

    Expectant mothers, he said, can prevent malaria. “This is called preventive measure in pregnancy, in intermittent preventive treatment . For children there is intermittent preventive measure. This is because many children die from malaria. Drugs are also meant for that.

    “The best prevention however which is better than cure, is the one that prevents you from having malaria and the best method is to sleep under LLINs or your house gets treated with IRS,” he said.

    Besides, they are very effective and must be used according to instructions. “However ,there are challenges in this area because mosquitoes are also adapting to the environment as the getting resistant to the insecticides. Atimes, you see some mosquitoes on the net and don’t die after being sprayed with insecticide that is called insecticide resistance. This is a major concern in health sector and it has become another key area of research in Nigeria, we are looking at this across the country with the assistance of WHO, we want to know the problem of resistance. We are doing that to support the National malaria control programme.

    “The best solution is to have a vaccine for malaria but for now there is none, however there are clinical trials. They are stiil at the trial stage because it has not got to the market where people can buy.”

    Awolola said further that the malaria burden in Nigeria is huge.

    Describing it, he said: “Every minute a child dies of malaria in Africa. 60 people every hour. Then multiply that by 12 hours. So on daily basis, we have about 10 crashes of fully loaded passengers’ plane daily. One out five deaths from malaria in Africa is a Nigerian.”

    He said health is not the absence of diseases; it is the wellbeing of life. People should try as much as possible to prevent coming down with malaria because “it is better than cure” which is expensive and not easily come by.

    Awolola said some people stopped using net because they think it is too hot when under it but this should not deter them.

    Part of the challenges, he said is that many people, especially the Fulani herds men still sleep outside in the north.

    He urged the government to fund malaria more, adding that providing nets or drugs alone cannot solve the problem but rather the environment where mosquitoes breed should be taken care of. There should be environmental management and protection. Also, there should be re-engineering. The way people build their houses are wrong and it encourages mosquito breeding. People should ensure there is environmental sanitation and avoid those practices which encourage mosquitoes, such as putting eaves in houses built, especially in the villages where we have the most burden of the disease and about 60 per cent of the country population.

    He said the hues and cries of rural dwellers cannot be heard on malaria.

    Awolola advised against taking local herbs. “I don’t know their content, but the truth is that some of them have anti-plasmodial activities,” he said.

    He said in dogoyaro, there are anti-plasmodial, adding that his mother used to give him the herb whenever he was ill but usually there was a relapse. “So if somebody says I have a herbal cure for malaria, I won’t advise people to take it because it is not scientifically proven and whatever it is done should be ‘evidence-based’,” he said.

    The researcher said the country is not yet ripe to use vaccines against malaria as the best method is what is presently being done.

    Moreover, people should use the prevention prescribed and those having the disease should be promptly diagnosed and receive treatment.

    “They must be tested to be sure they are carrying the parasite before they are given the drug, if not, it will mean they are misusing the drug, which may cause some problems later in life,” he said.

    Awolola said a patagoral vaccine was developed in the 80s but it never worked against malaria.

    “Our people don’t know that it is not all mosquitoes that carry malaria parasite, most mosquitoes that transmit the disease usually bite at night” he said.

  • Construction giant protects Akwa Ibom kids against malaria

    Construction giant protects Akwa Ibom kids against malaria

    AS parts of its Corporate Social Responsibility, Julius Berger Plc has donated over 3,000 insecticide-treated bed nets to school children in a bid to fight and win the war against malaria.

    The donation was done at St. Saviour Afrian Church School, Uruk Uso, Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State, where each pupil smiled home with one insecticide treated bed net and a pamphlet on how to use it to prevent mosquito bite and malaria.

    Over 1,000 pupils received it while pregnant women and children received one each of the nets at Primary Health Centre, West Itam, Itu local government area and Primary Health Care Centre, Wellington Bassey Way, Uyo.

    Addressing teachers and pupils at St. Saviour African Church Primary

    School, Uruk Uso, Ikot Ekpene, the Public Affairs Manager of Julius

    Berger, Clement Iloba, who led the CSR team of the company, said the audience that apart from building roads, bridges and other infrastructure for the development of Akwa Ibom, Julius Berger is also interested in helping to secure the health of the people.

    Iloba said this was why the company decided to donate insecticide treated bed nets to pregnant women and chidlren to protect them from malaria related deaths.

    Explaining that malaria kills many children before they reach five years, attacks pregnant women and other individuals, Iloba, however, said with the proper use of the insecticide treated bed nets Mosquito bite could be prevented and lives preserved.

    Revealing that Nigeria has a prevalence of malaria leading to 25 per cent childhood mortality rate and 11 per cent maternal mortality,

    Iloba said the company’s intervention through insecticide treated bed nets is to bring down this alarmingfigures and give children the opportunity to grow up and contribute to development.

    Demonstrating the use of the net, the Public Affairs Manager said it should be hung over a bed, tightly fited to prevent access to mosquito noting that five persons could  sleep under one of the nets, which has a life span of five years.

    He said since the company started the malaria prevention campaign,

    8000 nets have been distributed to pregnant and nursing women and students in local schools.

    The CSR team also visited West Itam Secodnary School, to donate fifty footballs as part of its contributions to sports development. Receiving the items on behalf of the school, the principal, Dr. Patrick Edem, thanked the company, saying that it has proved to be a responsible corporate citizen in Akwa Ibom State.

  • ‘Work place malaria test increases income by 10%’

    A recent research has shown that testing and treatment of malaria at work place increases workers’ income by 10 per cent.

    It also showed that the trend increases labour supply and productivity.

    A Professor of Public Health Parasitology at Modibbo Adama University of Technology, Yola, Adamawa State, Oladele Akogun, spoke at a presentation in Abuja on the research finding.

    The research also showed that malaria treatment in the work place increases daily physical activity.

    Besides, it showed that workers are willing to pay modest amounts for malaria insurance, though there is a variation in such willingness to pay among workers as the demand is price-sensitive.

    Akogun noted that “the major finding is that you don’t need to wait until somebody is so sick as to say he can’t go to work the next day”.

    He added: “We know this is a malaria-endemic country. Periodically, test your workers and treat them of malaria. You will see that the productivity will be one naira more on top of every N10, meaning 10 per cent.

    “Our findings suggest that improved access to malaria testing and treatment has a substantial effect on labour supply and productivity of workers. This indicates that studies that do not take into account the productivity costs of malaria make substantial underestimates.

    “Given the substantial productivity costs, the study presents evidence to support both private sector gains to employer-based malaria programmes and the private provision by workers of either preventive or curative malaria treatment.”

    Responding to questions on what was the motivation behind the research, Akogun said: “The main motivation is that for too long, people measured absence from work as the only loss to malaria. But people have never measured that when people are sick, they still come to work. That is the motivation.

     

     

     

     

    “So, if someone is not sick, he is not absent from work. But is his productivity the same as when malaria is out?”

     

  • ‘We must stop malaria’

    ‘We must stop malaria’

    Environmental Health Technology Students’ Association of the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO), has marked this year’s World Malaria Day with the theme: “Invest in the future: defeat malaria”.

    The organisers said the day was commemorated to create awareness on the danger of malaria.

    The association’s president, Celestine Onah, traced the history of the day to the 60th World Health Assembly held in March 2007, which replaced Africa Malaria Day. He said the focus was to educate the people about malaria, adding that everyone must join efforts to be control the deadly fever.

    The Dean, School of Health Technology, Prof N. S. Dozie, praised the students for organising the sensitisation programme, calling on stakeholders to join hands to eradicate the illness. He promised to support the students in their subsequent campaign.

    The association recommended adequate funding of environmental health services across the nation as part of the measures to prevent malaria. It also government to make research grants available to tertiary institutions to carry out research on ways to eradicate the disease. Engaging environmental health practitioners in piloting the affairs of malaria control, the association said, would achieve effective results.

    Haruna Wakili, a graduating student, said: “We commemorate Malaria Day to send a message to the world that malaria is an environmental health problems and needs environmental health solutions. Simple.”

    Ijeoma Mang, another student, said she had gained more knowledge on malaria control through the programm.

  • Anti-malaria campaign begins

    Anti-malaria campaign begins

    Reckitt Benckiser has restated its commitment to create innovative solutions for the consumers.

    The Marketing Director, West Africa, Reckitt Benckiser, Mr. Oguzhan Silivrili, spoke at a community engagement to commemorate the World Malaria Day in Lagos.

    He said in demonstration of the company’s commitment to innovation and consumer satisfaction,  its insecticide brand, Mortein, was collaborating in the global fight against malaria.

    “The vision and mission of RB (Reckitt Benckiser) globally is actually providing consumers healthier lives and happier homes. That is our vision, and that is why we up wake every day, and go to the office to create innovative solutions for the consumers. To achieve that vision, we see that malaria is a serious threat to the health of the consumers and that is why we are taking it very seriously and partnering with government to fight against it,’’ he said.

    Silivrili further said the launch of Mortein anti-malaria campaign in Nigeria and across some other African countries, two years ago, was also part of the company’s leadership in innovation and responsible corporate citizenship.

    During the community engagement at Tego Barracks open field, Marine Beach in Apapa, hundreds of residents trooped out for malaria screening conducted with the Lagos State Ministry of Health.

    Also as part of the World Malaria Day, Mortein presented certificates and baby gift items to some new babies at the General Hospital, Ajeromi-Ifelodun and Primary Health Centre, Ijora.

    Among the beneficiaries were Mrs. Gift Odia and her baby boy and Mrs. Kafayat Tajudeen and her new born girl. The children were picked for being born on April 25,  the World Malaria Day.

    Residents at the event also received free cans of Mortein and insecticide treated nets.

    He Silivrili assured Nigerians of Mortein’s unshaken commitment to the fight against malaria.

    The Chairman, Apapa Local Government, Ayodeji Joseph; Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Dr. Omodele Osunkiyesi and Sarki Hausawa of Lagos State, Alhaji Sani Kabiru represented by the Sarki Hausawa of  Ajeromi-Ifelodun, Alhaji Adamu Abubakar, commended Mortein and stakeholders for fighting malaria in the state.

     

  • Keeping malaria at bay

    Keeping malaria at bay

    Malaria is preventable and curable, yet many people die from it. Why? Because they do not pay attention to the disease until it is too late. The World Malaria Day was celebrated last Friday. OYEYEMI GBENGA-MUSTAPHA and WALE ADEPOJU examine the simple ways of eliminating the disease.

    Compared to other ailments, the public tends to treat malaria lightly. People do not take the disease serious until it appears to be getting out of hand. That is when they start to run helter-skelter in search of treatment. Malaria kills faster than diseases, such as cancer, diabetes and tuberculosis (TB).

    Malaria is a life-threatening ailment caused by anopheles mosquito.
    The parents of a child suffering from malaria may not take it seriously until the child is almost dead.
    According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), about 627,000 deaths mostly among African children, occurred in 2012. They were caused by malaria. In Africa most deaths among children are caused by malaria with a child dying every minute.

    However, malaria mortality rates since 2000 among children in Africa have been reduced by an estimated 54 per cent .

    Drawing attention to the importance of eliminating the disease, WHO from 2013 to 2015 has chosen “Invest in the future, defeat malaria,” as the theme for its campaign against malaria. April 25 of every year is set aside to highlight the need for continued investment and sustained political commitment to malaria control and elimination.
    According to WHO Director- General Dr Margaret Chan increased political commitment and the expansion of global malaria investments have saved some 3.3 million lives since 2000. And she has certified four countries malaria-free. They are the United Arab Emirates (2007), Morocco (2010), Turkmenistan (2010) and Armenia (2011). She wished more countries would obtain such certification.

    WHO said: “It has been discovered that increased malaria prevention and control measures can dramatically reduce the malaria burden in the countries with malaria, such as Nigeria. And with increased political commitment, advances in diagnostic testing and treatment and financial support from the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, Nigeria can win the war against malaria and move from the seven countries described by WHO as having reduced transmission to zero and are in the “prevention of re-introduction phase”.

    To put the epidemic behind as a nation, Lagos State Health Commissioner, Dr Jide Idris, said attitudinal change on preventive measures, including use of long-lasting insecticide treated nets (LLITNs), keeping the environment clean and presumptive treatment of fever cases as malaria should be adopted by all.

    “Accurate diagnosis of malaria will significantly improve the quality of patient care, ensure that antimalarial medicines are used rationally and correctly and serve as basis for more accurate surveillance data. For example in Lagos, transmission of malaria is stable and all year round.

    “About 570, 000 cases were reported last year compared to 566, 215 cases in 2012 on the disease surveillance and notification report. This could be attributed to the cosmopolitan nature of Lagos, the abundant distribution of coastal areas, and the behavior of many of its inhabitants, which encourage the availability of stagnant water resulting in breeding sites for the anopheles mosquito.”

    Dr Jide Idris said Lagos was able to record such stability because the presumptive treatment of all fever cases as malaria has been phased out, “as all our health facilities have been equipped with Rapid Diagnosic Test (RDT) kits and or microscopes for diagnosis, while Artemisinin Combination Therapy (ACTs) antimalarials are provided free for treatment. “Pregnant women are also given Sulphadoxine Pyrimethamine (SP) for intermittent preventive treatment of malaria during antenatal clinics,” he said.

    According to a Senior Medical Officer /Malaria Programme Officer, Lagos State Ministry of Health, Dr. Victoria Omoera, the simple understanding of mode of transmission, control and elimination are important in defeating the disease.

    Dr Omoera said: “Malaria is transmitted exclusively through the bites of Anopheles mosquitoes. The intensity of transmission depends on factors related to the parasite, the vector, the human host and the environment. About 20 anopheles species are locally important around the world. All of the important vector species bite at night. Anopheles mosquitoes breed in water and each species has its own breeding preference; for example some prefer shallow collections of fresh water, such as puddles, rice fields, and hoof prints.”

    She continued: “Transmission is more intense in places where the mosquito lifespan is longer (so that the parasite has time to complete its development inside the mosquito) and where it prefers to bite humans rather than other animals. For example, the long lifespan and strong human-biting habit of the African vector species is the main reason why about 90 per cent of the world’s malaria deaths are in Africa.

    “Transmission also depends on climatic conditions that may affect the number and survival of mosquitoes, such as rainfall patterns, temperature and humidity. In many places, transmission is seasonal, with the peak during and just after the rainy season. Malaria epidemics can occur when climate and other conditions suddenly favour transmission in areas where people have little or no immunity to malaria. They can also occur when people with low immunity move into areas with intense malaria transmission, for instance to find work, or as refugees.”
    “Human immunity”, Dr Omoera said, “is another important factor, especially among adults in areas of moderate or intense transmission conditions”.

    She said: “Partial immunity is developed over years of exposure, and while it never provides complete protection, it does reduce the risk that malaria infection will cause severe disease. For this reason, most malaria deaths in Nigeria occur in young children, whereas in areas with less transmission and low immunity, all age groups are at risk.”
    Though experts are researching into ways of treating malaria, especially developing a vaccine, but according to the Medical and Regulatory Affairs Director, Sanofi, a pharmaceutical firm, Dr. Fifen Inoussa, “there are currently no licensed vaccines against malaria or any other human parasite”.

    A research vaccine, RTS S/AS01, against P. falciparum, the parasite responsible for malaria, is the most advanced. This vaccine is being evaluated in a large clinical trial in seven countries in Africa.
    A WHO recommendation for its use will depend on the final results from the large clinical trial. The final results are expected later in the year, and a recommendation whether or not it should be added to the existing malaria control tools is expected late next year.

    “At the moment, there are pharmaceutical products that conform to WHO recommendations of combination therapy. For several years, Sanofi has had strong ambition for Africa’s generics market. Through its subsidiary Zentiva, Sanofi is developing a portfolio of affordable quality generics,” said Dr Inoussa.

    Deputy Director, Health Education, Lagos State Ministry of Health, Dr Omowunmi George said keeping the environment clean; cutting grasses low; keeping the drains free of materials that can block same and desisting from lining walls with objects that can retain water for mosquitoes to breed are some of the proactive measures in eliminating malaria.

    She said: “For individuals, personal protection against mosquito bites represents the first line of defense for malaria prevention. Two forms of vector control are effective in a wide range of circumstances. They are insecticide-treated mosquito nets (ITNs) and indoor residual spraying (IRS).”

    She continued: “Lagos has tried these and they worked. Long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs) are the preferred form of ITNs for public health distribution programmes. WHO recommends coverage for all at-risk persons; and in most settings. The most cost effective way to achieve this is through provision of free LLINs, so that everyone sleeps under a LLIN every night.

    “Indoor residual spraying (IRS) with insecticides is a powerful way of rapidly reducing malaria transmission. Its full potential is realised when at least 80 per cent of houses in targeted areas are sprayed. Indoor spraying is effective for three to six months, depending on the insecticide used and the type of surface on which it is sprayed. DDT can be effective for nine to 12 months in some cases. Longer-lasting forms of existing IRS insecticides, as well as new classes of insecticides for use in IRS programmes, are being developed. Antimalarial medicines can also be used to prevent malaria.”

  • Global fight against malaria

    Global fight against malaria

    Tools are now available to end deaths from malaria and move towards malaria elimination. Since 2000, global malaria deaths have fallen by 42 per cent, but continued investment and sustained political support is needed to defeat malaria.

    Investments have created more than 90 countries malaria-free and another 26 nearly achieving a similar status. According to the World Malaria Report 2013, malaria killed an estimated 482 000 children under five years of age in 2012. That is 1300 children every day, or one child almost every minute.

    On the occasion of World Malaria Day, 25 April 2014, the World Health Organization (WHO) and partners aim to further increase public awareness about malaria and help promote proven prevention and control measures. Countries with improved malaria control interventions have seen child mortality rates fall by 20 per cent.

    Forty-three endemic countries in the WHO African Region and 22 in other WHO Regions have received financial support from WHO for developing their malaria programmes. WHO is currently collaborating with UNICEF to strengthen the malaria programmes in Eritrea, Namibia, Uganda and United Republic of Tanzania.

    Malaria is also one of the major public health challenges undermining the 2015 Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Fifty-nine countries are on track but international targets will not be achieved unless considerable progress is made in the 18 most affected countries – most in sub-Saharan Africa – that account for 80 per cent of malaria cases.

    Significant progress has been made in the early diagnosis and treatment of malaria. The use of Malaria Rapid Diagnostic Tests (RDTs) assists in detecting evidence of malaria parasites in human blood. RDTs have been especially useful in confirming malaria cases in rural settings and ensuring people get timely treatments.

    According to the WHO, “an estimated 136 million long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs) were delivered to endemic countries, a major increase over the 70 million bed nets that were delivered in 2012. About 200 million LLINs have been funded for delivery in 2014, suggesting an even stronger pipeline for 2014”.

    As a basic guideline for protection against malaria, United Against Malaria recommends having at least two long-lasting insecticide-treated nets (LLINs) in a household. Bed nets prevent malaria by creating a protective barrier against mosquitoes at night – when most transmissions occur.

    LLINs typically provide two to five years of protection for a family. The level of protection is based on the size of the family, the type of net, the number of washings and the degree of care given.

    Indoor residual spraying (IRS), or spraying on the inside walls of homes has also been found to kill mosquitoes and reduce the rate of malaria transmission. The WHO recommends IRS but it remains underutilized, as it requires proper timing, frequent spraying and it is most effective when used in combination with LLINs.

    Artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) are the frontline treatment for malaria and can cure a child in one to three days. However, one setback is that drug-resistant strains of malaria are now surfacing in high-risk populations. In 2012, researchers found that the most effective drugs are becoming less effective and over 20 per cent of patients have begun to show a form of treatment resistance.

    WHO re-affirms “ACTs remain effective in almost all settings, so long as the partner drug in the combination is locally effective. The Global plan for artemisinin resistance containment, released in 2011, contains strategic guidance from WHO on how to manage this global threat.”

    Experts are also optimistic about the possibility of the world’s first malaria vaccine. The good news comes after a new trial showed that a vaccine had cut the number of cases of malaria after 18 months by 46 per cent in children aged five to 17 months.

    Younger infants aged six to 12 weeks also benefited with a 27 per cent malaria reduction when compared to unvaccinated children. These findings were presented earlier this year at the sixth Pan-African Conference of the Multilateral Initiative on Malaria in Durban, South Africa.

    Let’s move toward a malaria-free future! Join the global #WorldMalariaDay conversation and mention what you’re doing to #DefeatMalaria. Tweet a photo with ‘I raise my hand to Defeat Malaria’ written on your palm. Don’t forget to include the #DefeatMalaria hashtag in your post!

    Dr Couillard is an international health columnist that works in collaboration with the World Health Organization’s goals of disease prevention and control. Views do not necessarily reflect endorsement.

    Facebook: Dr Cory Couillard, Twitter: DrCoryCouillard