malaria eradication Archives

June 13, 2013

Malaria: Focus on Prevention and Get the African Privileged Engaged

by Dr. K Amponsah-Manager

I have written on malaria in the past. Since then, much has changed and nothing has changed.

There are more than 400 million cases of malaria annually. Most of malaria infections and deaths occur in Sub-Saharan African where the most vulnerable are infants, pregnant mothers and seniors. In fact, it is estimated that 90% of malaria-related deaths occur in sub-Saharan Africa.

Significant progress has been made in the fight against malaria as more effective drugs are made available. At the same time, challenges emerge as the plasmodium parasite develops resistance towards existing drugs. For instance, chloroquine which in the past used to be the most commonly prescribed medicine against malaria, even though is still used to treat and prevent malaria, is no longer as effective against the disease because the parasite developed resistance to the drug. There is currently no effective vaccine against malaria but there may be one in the horizon.

Even though malaria has not received global attention required for a killer of such profile, wealthy foundations, some private companies, and smart governments across the world are beginning to wake up and make malaria a priority. One of such foundations is the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Malaria can be defeated, albeit, not overnight. The funding available for anti-malaria campaigns, and research and development is tiny compared to the challenges.

While governments, Foundations and private institutions work towards eradication and prevention, it is important for private citizens to join the partnership especially in efforts towards preventing malaria.

In the long run, I believe that prevention of malaria is the cost-effective route to take rather than treatment of the disease. However, for preventive measures to make a dent, individual participation and community involvement would have to be spurred up. Continue reading “Malaria: Focus on Prevention and Get the African Privileged Engaged”

January 19, 2011January 23, 2011

Generic Malaria Drug Approval Granted to Glenmark Pharmaceuticals

The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Glenmark Pharmaceuticals final approval to sell a generic version of GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) malaria drug Malarone.

In April 2010, Glenmark settled a patent litigation with GlaxoSmithKline over atovaquone and proguanil hydrochloride 250 milligram/100mg tablets–the generic version of Malarone.

The Indian company can sell the generic tablets under a royalty-bearing license from GlaxoSmithKline in the third quarter of 2011, or earlier under certain circumstances.

KAM

January 10, 2011January 14, 2011

President Jonathan, I Can Hear You

Last week President Goodluck Jonathan of Nigeria presented what he referred to as “the plans” that his administration will be implementing in 2011.

The President posted on his Facebook page what he anticipates the budget to help Nigeria to accomplish. Among the many things he said, the one that interests me most is what appears to be Mr. Jonathan’s commitment to fight malaria.

This is what he wrote:

“As part of the budgetary allocation to the health sector are funds to establish scientific research institutes that will focus on areas that directly impact health care in Nigeria such as HIV, Malaria, Cholera, sickle cell anemia and Cancer.”

He said he will work with his administration to tap the creativity of Nigerian scientists in solving the country’s greatest health challenges because

“some of these diseases are peculiar to Africa; they may not be a priority to the research institutes of governmental and private pharmaceutical research industries of the West.”

I could not agree with the President any more. One of our goals at talkafrique is to promote the idea that African problems must be solved by Africans and also that politics must be about problems and solutions and not just signboards and slogans. As Gen. Collin Powell said,

“You can’t just have slogans; you can’t just have catchy phrases. You have to have an agenda”

I believe on this, President Jonathan is on the correct path.

Malaria was eradicated in the US and Canada about 5 to 6 decades ago. It is laughable for us to expect American corporations to focus on malaria research and development in such challenging economic times while such efforts could be expended in the development of drugs that target erectile dysfunction. Malaria, like some other diseases, is referred to as a ‘Neglected Disease’ for a reason. No financial consultant or market analyst will encourage a client to borrow money to develop anti-malaria drug, except on humanitarian grounds. We salute the few companies that continue to screen for anti-malaria drugs and vaccines.

To us as Africans, malaria is a pressing issue. A child dies of malaria every 30 seconds in Sub-Saharan Africa. This is not just statistics

I hope that President Jonathan will stay true to his word. I will be checking his Facebook wall for updates. I will also be watching very carefully for what the Presidents of Ghana, Togo, Kenya, Botswana and the rest of our leaders have to offer.

Thanks for reading

December 16, 2010January 8, 2011

Text messaging to combact malaria

Mobile phones could soon be helping re-assure Nigerians and Ghanaians they are getting genuine medicine.

A pilot scheme in the two nations has begun putting unique scratch codes on more than 500,000 medicine bottles and packets of pills.

When the code is texted to a free phone number, a return message will reveal that a drug is genuine.

The scheme hopes to boost efforts to tackle diseases such as malaria and combat the rise in fake medicines.

Security alert

About 700,000 people suffering from malaria and tuberculosis die every year around the world because of fake drugs, suggest statistics from think tank International Policy Network

Globally, about 10-15% of all drugs are believed to be fake but in some parts of Africa this rises to 50%. The problem is made more acute in Africa because some fake medicines being offered to the sick are watered down versions of the real thing and dent the efficacy of the full strength drug.

“Some genuine medicines have lost their potency because of the counterfeiting,” said Gabriele Zedlmayer, a spokeswoman for HP which is a partner in the labelling scheme.

Fake pills are a big problem in Africa where diseases such as malaria are endemic

This can be a particular problem with malaria as the disease is so widespread in sub-saharan Africa where it is the leading cause of death.

The scheme is being backed by governments and drug companies who have pledged to publicise how it works in pharmacies, surgeries, hospitals and community centres.

Painkillers, anti-malaria drugs and amoebicides from pharmaceutical firms May & Baker in Nigeria and Kama in Ghana will be the first to get the scratch-off labels.

Such a scheme was very important in Africa where about 80% of medicines are generic, said Bright Simons, founder of mPedigree which developed some of the technology to underpin the pilot.

By using the codes, people would get to know pharmacies, hospitals and other outlets they can trust, he said.

Mobiles were the best way for people in Nigeria and Ghana to find out about their medicines because they were so ubiquitous said Mr Simon, adding that even those who do not own a handset themselves can get access via friends and family.

Each packet or bottle has a scratch-off code that can be used only once, said Mr Simons. The security system behind the scenes flags any attempt to re-use codes. As well as letting people know they are getting genuine medicine, it will also alert people when fake medicines are being peddled.

If the pilot proves successful, the scheme will be extended to cover more than six million bottles and packets in the next 12 months.

“This is just the first step,” said Ms Zedlmayer. “It can be applied to any kind of medication.”

(Story by BBC)

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December 14, 2010January 2, 2011

Aggregated Health News

Malaria control ‘best in decades’, WHO

(AP) –

GENEVA (AP) — The World Health Organization says a massive malaria control program since 2008 has helped reduce infections across Africa and eradicate the disease in Morocco and Turkmenistan.

The U.N. health agency says the billions of dollars poured into the program have helped buy anti-malaria nets for almost 600 million people in sub-Saharan Africa.

It said this has contributed to a drop of over 50 percent in malaria cases in 11 African countries, and two-thirds of the 56 malaria-endemic countries outside Africa. Malaria cases, however, increased in parts of Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe and Zambia.

S. African to double HIV patient treatment

(AP)

JOHANNESBURG — South Africa’s health minister says he has brought down the cost of HIV drugs by 53 percent, enabling the government to treat twice as many patients in the next two years.

Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi said in a statement Tuesday that the government saved 4.7 billion rand ($689 million) by encouraging potential suppliers to participate in the bidding process, requesting a breakdown of costs from suppliers and monitoring price changes.

South Africa has the largest anti-retroviral distribution program in the world but pays significantly higher drug prices than other countries, Motsoaledi says. South Africa has more people living with HIV than anywhere else in the world, with 5.7 million of 50 million people infected

New UN partnership seeks to promote reproductive health in Africa

http://www.un.org

December 2010 – The United Nations has teamed up with the Millennium Villages Project (MVP) to promote universal access to reproductive health in sub-Saharan Africa, focusing mainly on young mothers.

The partnership between the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) and MVP will use the Project’s primary health-care provision strategy and the UN agency’s expertise to promote reproductive rights and sexual and reproductive health.

The MVP initiative seeks to reach the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) – eight anti-poverty targets with a 2015 deadline – in African countries within five years through community-led development.

Infant mortality rates are almost double among women who have children before the age of 20, compared to mothers in other age groups, a factor that makes it necessary to improve maternal and child health by providing voluntary family planning, medical supplies, training and education among younger women.

The UNFPA-MVP partnership will help local governments to provide supplies to clinics and hospitals in Millennium Village clusters. It will also identify trainers for health personnel.

“We look forward to joining forces with the Millennium Villages Project to widen the availability of sexual and reproductive health services – including family planning, skilled birth attendance, emergency obstetric care and prenatal and postnatal care – across sub-Saharan Africa,” said UNFPA’s Executive Director, Thoraya Ahmed Obaid.

“This partnership will go a long way in saving the lives of more mothers, and allowing more families to enjoy a life of prosperity and good health,” she added.

Jeffrey Sachs, the Director of the Earth Institute, said: “Many programmes such as those in the Millennium Villages show that scaling up primary health systems in rural and remote areas plays a decisive role in reducing child and maternal mortality.

“It is partnerships like these that will make a difference and enable us to achieve Millennium Development Goals 4 and 5 in the toughest parts of Africa,” Mr. Sachs added.

MVP, a partnership between the Earth Institute at Columbia University, Millennium Promise, the UN Development Programme (UNDP) and governments, provides a new approach to fighting poverty.

Currently covering approximately 500,000 people, the Project has shown that an integrated package of development interventions, supported by a modest financial investment, about $110 per person annually over 5 to 10 years, can facilitate the achievement of the MDGs.

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December 7, 2010January 6, 2011

Malian officials in trouble: Global Fund suspends malaria

While global campaigns are gathering momentum to raise funds for malaria research and prevention, Malian officials have their own plan. Read on.

(AP)

BAMAKO, Mali — The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria said Tuesday that $4 million meant to fight disease in Mali has been misappropriated, prompting them to halt three grants.

The announcement came two days after Malian Health Minister Oumar Ibrahima Toure resigned without explanation on Sunday.

The Global Fund said Tuesday that Malian officials have arrested 15 people suspected of committing fraud; those include several senior health ministry officials.

The international fund said in a statement Tuesday that two malaria grants would be temporarily suspended and a tuberculosis grant would be terminated. Together the grants are worth $22.6 million. The fund has approved some $128 million in assistance for Mali since its creation in 2002. This has come in the form of eight grants – six of them administered by the government.

“The Global Fund tolerates no fraud, and we take public action to stop it, recover lost money and establish new and trustworthy channels for resources so they can reach those in need,” said Michel Kazatchkine, the fund’s executive director

Toure, the health minister, did not respond to requests for comment on Tuesday, nor did Malian government officials. But he had faced several public calls to step down over the Global Fund investigation, and Mali‘s president Amadou Toumani Toure vowed earlier to seek those responsible.

“Whenever someone is accused of wrongdoing, we will do what’s needed so that justice is done,” the president said Saturday. “We must not condemn people too quickly, however. It’s my desire that everyone arrested in connection with this affair has the chance to defend themselves, protect themselves and possibly prove their innocence.”

The fund said the $4 million appeared to have been skimmed through false invoices, fake bid documents and overcharging for goods and services.

The grants provided anti-malarial bed nets, malaria drugs and tuberculosis treatment for prisoners, people in mining communities and patients with multidrug resistant TB.

The fund says the malaria grants will be transferred to another recipient in Mali and treatment will not be interrupted. The tuberculosis patients helped by the other grant will also continue to receive assistance, the fund said.

The poor, landlocked West African nation relies on international donors to fund its health system. In August another international body, the GAVI Alliance, which helps get vaccines to developing countries, also froze the funds it gives to Mali because of corruption fears.

November 7, 2010January 24, 2011

Eradicating malaria in Sub-saharan Africa, Yes We Can

Malaria is a killer. About half a million people die annually from malaria, mostly children in sub-Saharan-Africa. In fact a child dies of malaria every 30 seconds.

Even though malaria has not yet received the attention it needs on the global stage, today wealthy foundations, companies, and some governments across the world are making malaria a priority. It was hoped that this momentum would continue for a while but, as we reported here last week, a series of papers published in a respected scientific journal, the Lancet, may put pressure on the breaks.

The team of researchers cast a gloomy cloud over any hope of eradicating malaria, at least in our lifetime. I need to admit that I have not yet read all the papers but their conclusion is clear: governments, donor agencies and foundations should now focus more on minimizing the prevalence of malaria and not on eradicating malaria. It is very easy to see how this could sap away the energy of organization like Malaria no More, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and other organizations toiling to see the day when there will be no more malaria.

Anyone who doubts mankind’s ability to eradicate malaria may need to be reminded that the progress on malaria eradication in the US and Canada happened over a ‘relatively short time span’. In fact, it was not until the late 1890’s that scientists even learnt that the disease is caused by a parasite and that it is a mosquito that transmits the parasite from person to person. The assumption in those days was that malaria was caused by some ‘environmental dirt’. The word malaria actually comes from the Italian “mala aria”, meaning “bad air” because it was generally believed that malaria was caused by breathing in bad or foul air and vapors emanating from swamps marshy lands and latrines.

It is important to remember that, 70 to 80 years ago, Americans traveling to the eastern Tennessee valleys had the same fear they now have when traveling to Togo or Ivory Coast because of malaria. The story changed with the creation of the U.S. Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) in 1933 which established an organized malaria control program. At the time, malaria affected 30 percent of the population in the region where the TVA was incorporated. After implementing aggressive research and control operations, the disease was essentially eradicated in the TVA region by 1947.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in Atlanta CDC was founded in 1946 to help control malaria. Within a few years of the campaign, malaria had been completely eradicated in the US.

The US did not win the battle over malaria overnight. Efforts to control malaria became national focus as far back as the early 20th century during the occupation American military in Cuba and the construction of the Panama Canal. It is recorded that malaria (and yellow fever) caused significant number of deaths among the workers of the canal. This triggered an aggressive program of malaria control which in 10 years had already made remarkable progress.

It is for these reasons that I have some concerns over the conclusions of the international team of researchers. Scientific possibility and budgetary recommendations perhaps should not be jammed together, especially when there is a huge regional disparity in the consequences of such recommendations.

Malaria can be defeated, albeit, not overnight. The funding available for anti-malaria campaigns, and research and development is tiny compared to the challenges. When the US announces a $10 billion annual budget for Africa it may appear too generous unless you know what we’re talking about. It is not Mali nor Zambia, but a continent of nearly 1 billion people.

We need to encourage non-governmental organizations, foundations and governments to keep on fighting. Efforts to minimize the prevalence of malaria should be encouraged but this cannot be an open-ended laissez faire attitude with no responsibility. There should be an aggressive program to eradicate the disease as it was done in the US and Canada.

Yes We Can