Malaria in the Media: March 2022

With World Malaria Day on the horizon, the global community has plenty of landmarks to celebrate in the fight against this deadly disease. The latest issue of Malaria in the Media features stories showcasing health care heroes on the ground and incredible scientific strides being made towards creating a malaria-free world.

From the New York Times, read more about a novel single-dose malaria treatment that will be available for use in children. In a podcast for BBC Sounds, researchers speak about other innovations that could reduce the malaria burden, from houses built to resist mosquitos to genetic engineering that could reduce female mosquito fertility. On the frontlines, the World Health Organization shares a story of a healthcare worker who has spent ten years caring for residents in a rural province bordering China.

READ

Novel Malaria Treatment for Children Receives First Approval

— The New York Times

“Australian regulators have approved a simple drug combination as an effective cure for a form of malaria in children ages 2 to 16, opening the door to approvals in other countries and heralding a new weapon in the battle against a deadly disease.”

The women tackling malaria in Viet Nam’s remote communities

— The World Health Organization

“As the acting director of the Pa U commune health centre, staying on call 24-7 has become a daily reality for Ly. The 36-year-old health commune worker has been working and living on-site for over 10 years, providing care for residents of the mountainous province bordering China.”

Some malaria parasites are evading detection tests, causing an urgent threat to public health

— The Conversation

 “Malaria is an old disease. Yet it continues to have devastating impacts on poor people, especially in Africa. To fight the disease, countries primarily use insecticide-treated bed nets to control the mosquitoes that transmit malaria parasites, or medicines to treat malaria patients.”

Have we really failed to roll back malaria?

—  The Lancet

“Has the global burden of malaria really not changed over 20 years, after spending more than US $30 billion on malaria control activities, and after distributing more than 2·5 billion insecticide-treated bed nets, 3 billion rapid diagnostic tests, and 3·5 billion artemisinin combination treatments?

WATCH

Fight for What Counts – today, tomorrow, until the job is finished. 

— The Global Fund

“Twenty years after the Global Fund was created, the world is in crisis again. We must fight for what counts – to defeat HIV, TB and malaria, end health inequity and protect humanity from pandemics. The Global Fund is calling on the world to mobilize US$18 billion to save 20 million lives. Because who, if not us?”

Malaria diagnosis: Addressing the issue of HRP2 gene deletions

— The World Health Organization

“Access to an accurate and timely diagnosis is critical to preventing a malaria infection from progressing to severe illness and death. WHO recommends prompt malaria diagnosis either through microscopy or rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) for all patients with suspected malaria.”

LISTEN

The house that fights malaria

— BBC Sounds

“Malaria kills more than half a million people per year. We meet the innovators who are using buildings, lights, genes and vaccines to fight the mosquito-borne disease.”

Historic Malaria Vaccine Breakthrough

— Africa Renewal Podcast, the United Nations 

“In October 2021, the WHO recommended the widespread use of the malaria vaccine among children. In this episode, Dr. Bernhard Ogutu, a scientist who leads global clinical trial research and worked on the game-changing vaccine, talks about the historic vaccine, the years of research and the technological advances that made the vaccine a reality.”