A pill is now available offering a completely effective cure for malaria. With a single dose, it eliminates all strains and blocks transmission from person to person. In 2012, an extensive screening campaign looked at 6 million compounds and selected the most promising from the series to be optimised and retested. A molecule known as MMV390048 was identified as suitable for preclinical development. When tested on animals, it showed potent activity against multiple stages in the malaria parasite's life cycle. Animals given a single dose orally were completely cured, with no reported side effects. Human clinical trials, beginning in late 2013, achieved similar success.
This new treatment offers a major improvement to global health. In 2010, there were 216 million documented cases of malaria. Around 655,000 died from the disease - about 2.2% of all deaths worldwide - and it was responsible for a quarter of child deaths in sub-Saharan Africa. The actual number of deaths may have been significantly higher as precise statistics for all rural areas were unavailable, with many cases going undocumented.
Malaria has long been associated with poverty, especially for countries in Africa. The eradication of this disease is giving a major boost to economic development. In addition to the pill, genetic modification of mosquitoes is also playing a role in finally consigning malaria to history.* Other methods have been developed too. In modern buildings and hospitals, for instance, automated laser systems can track and kill the insects.
No comments:
Post a Comment