Progress against Malaria is one area where U.S. investments in global health have made an great impact. Just five years ago, it was estimated that malaria killed nearly one million children annually in sub-Saharan Africa. The economic cost to the continent was estimated to be nearly $30 billion each year in lost productivity. "Today, the U.S. along with its partners have helped cut malaria … [Read more...]
Bioengineered Antibiotic Could Lead to Improved Malaria Therapy
A natural antibiotic long known for its power to fight bacteria, viruses and tumors has recently shown strength against malaria, but its extreme toxicity has impeded its use in medicine. However, a bioengineering breakthrough has opened a new avenue in the global battle against malaria. Scientists at Oregon State University have engineered several new versions of the antibiotic pactamycin … [Read more...]
New Biomarkers Study Could Lead to Improved Malaria Vaccines
In the first study of its type in the malaria field, Seattle BioMed has been awarded an $8.9 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to identify biomarkers that will allow malaria vaccine design based on robust predictors of protective immunity. According to Ruobing Wang, M.D., Ph.D., the goal of the study is to identify and validate biomarkers that correlate with … [Read more...]
Fighting Malaria with Mobile Phone Technology in Haiti
Mobile phone technology is being used to bring life saving information to millions of Haitians.The Red Cross has embarked on a nationwide malaria prevention campaign, sending over 3.5 million SMS messages which include information on how malaria is transmitted, how to recognize the symptoms, treatment options, and simple steps for prevention.“There are nearly four million mobile phone subscribers … [Read more...]
Peace Corps Volunteers Join Malaria Fight with Education and Bed Net Distribution Program
Peace Corps volunteers are collaborating with host country government agencies, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), the President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI), and local community members to raise awareness of malaria prevention techniques and help control the disease. Malaria is an infectious disease caused by a parasite (plasmodium) transmitted from human to human by the bite of infected … [Read more...]
Mosquitos Make Proteins to Handle Heat Spike of Hot Blood Meals
Mosquitoes make proteins to help them handle the stressful spike in body temperature that’s prompted by their hot blood meals, a new study has found. The mosquito’s eating pattern is inherently risky: Taking a blood meal involves finding warm-blooded hosts, avoiding detection, penetrating tough skin and evading any host immune response, not to mention the slap of a human hand. Until … [Read more...]
NetGuarantee: Financing Speeds Delivery of Mosquito Nets
NetGuarantee, a new innovative finance facility, announces its first transaction with Zurich in North America, part of the Zurich Financial Services Group, to celebrate World Malaria Day today, April 25. This collaboration will help accelerate access to and advance the delivery of vital malaria prevention tools in Africa by six to 10 months, and shows how core business competencies and best … [Read more...]
Genetically Modified Mosquito “Selfish Gene” Could Helps Stop Spread of Malaria
Many scientists have played with the idea of creating a genetically modified mosquito that won’t transmit malaria, which kills about 850,000 people a year, and releasing it into the wild. But in the face of the millions of mosquitoes out there that do ferry malaria around, how would the trait spread fast enough to make a difference? Now, scientists have developed a way to cause a “selfish” gene … [Read more...]
World Malaria Day: April 25, 2011
National Institutes of Health (NIH) statement on World Malaria Day, by B.F. (Lee) Hall, M.D., Ph.D., and Anthony S. Fauci, M.D., National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health In commemorating World Malaria Day and reflecting on this year's theme, "Achieving Progress and Impact," we celebrate the important strides made in many regions of the world to … [Read more...]
Chemotherapy Drugs Show Promise in Fighting Malaria
Ahead of World Malaria Day (25 April), EU-funded researchers have discovered that drugs originally designed to inhibit the growth of cancer cells can also kill the parasite that causes malaria. They believe this discovery could open up a new strategy for combating this deadly disease, which, according to World Health Organization statistics, infected around 225 million and killed nearly 800 000 … [Read more...]