Jhpiego and the Ministry of Health today launched an ambitious, five-year partnership to improve malaria care nationwide in Burkina Faso and significantly reduce malaria illness and deaths. The $15 million project, funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), is focused on improving the quality of prevention, diagnosis and treatment services in 100 percent of public health … [Read more...]
A Malaria Diagnostics Kit for Just 30 Cents (US)
Biotechnologist Ashley Uys has developed through his company, Medical Diagnostech, a "rapid test" kit which can diagnose malaria as well as which strain you are suffering from. He explains it can also identify if your suggested course of treatment is working effectively. Using blood samples, the test can offer results in less than 30 minutes. "I decided to look at what is the most needing … [Read more...]
A Rare Form of Malaria Is Spreading in Malaysia
A rare and sometimes lethal form of malaria usually found only in monkeys is becoming so common in Malaysia that it accounts for most malaria hospitalizations there, scientists have found.In the Malaysian part of the island of Borneo, a parasite called Plasmodium knowlesi causes severe malaria three times as often as Plasmodium falciparum, which has long been considered the deadliest form of the … [Read more...]
The Malaria Fighter
After a knee-to-knee chat with this hamlet’s chief in the local malaria clinic as rain hammered the tin roof, Rear Adm. R. Timothy Ziemer reached into his pocket for his usual thank-you gift. The clinic was well run, and there was a big turnout of mothers grateful for the free mosquito nets.Accepting the thick gold-colored coin with President Obama’s face on it, the chief looked as thrilled as … [Read more...]
What Ebola Can Learn From Malaria
Famous experts, ranging from Paul Farmer to Jeffery Sachs, have tried to use reason to show why investments in clinics go further to stop diseases like Ebola than do investments in vaccines and drugs. Their arguments are simple: build clinics and train medical staff to care for people, and they will be competent to tackle whatever problems emerge. (The teach-a-man-to-fish argument.) If such a … [Read more...]
Malaria Study Raises Evolutionary Questions
Children who inherit one copy of the sickle cell mutation have a ten-fold reduction in their risk of severe malaria. A study of genetic variants associated with cases of severe malaria has successfully integrated data from almost 30,000 participants across multiple locations in Africa, Asia and Oceania. … [Read more...]
Malaria Parasite May Sense Approaching Mosquitoes
Is it possible that malaria parasites circulating in the blood can actually sense that there are mosquitoes around? And that they react by increasing their numbers so the mosquitoes are more likely to carry them to a new host? A new study by French researchers published by PLOS Pathogens last week suggests it is. … [Read more...]
Malaria Cases Show Steady Decline Since 2000
Geneva - The number of people dying from malaria has fallen dramatically since 2000 and malaria cases are also steadily declining, according to the World malaria report 2014. Between 2000 and 2013, the malaria mortality rate decreased by 47% worldwide and by 54% in the WHO African Region - where about 90% of malaria deaths occur. New analysis across sub-Saharan Africa reveals that despite a 43% … [Read more...]
UCSF, Google Earth Engine Making Maps to Predict Malaria
UC San Francisco (UCSF) is working to create an online platform that health workers around the world can use to predict where malaria is likely to be transmitted using data on Google Earth Engine. The goal is to enable resource poor countries to wage more targeted and effective campaigns against the mosquito-borne disease, which kills 600,000 people a year, most of them children. Read more, … [Read more...]
Regular Preventive Malaria Treatment Reduces Risk in Children
Protecting young children from malaria in countries where the mosquito-borne illness is endemic can include preventive drug treatment during the rainy season, when most infections occur. Now, researchers report that delivering an anti-malaria drug monthly, all year long, dramatically reduces the risk of this potentially lethal disease in infants and toddlers. Ninety percent of the 219 million … [Read more...]