Malaria
From WikiDemocracy
Malaria Vaccine
A Malaria vaccine is a vaccine that prevents malaria, a mosquito-borne infectious disease which affected an estimated 249 million people globally in 85 malaria-endemic countries and areas and caused 608,000 deaths in 2022. The first approved vaccine for malaria is RTS,S, known by the brand name Mosquirix. As of April 2023, the vaccine has been given to 1.5 million children living in areas with moderate-to-high malaria transmission. It requires at least three doses in infants by age 2, and a fourth dose extends the protection for another 1–2 years. The vaccine reduces hospital admissions from severe malaria by around 30%
GLOBAL TECHNICAL STRATEGY FOR MALARIA
The designations employed and the presentation of the material in this publication do not imply the expression
of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the World Health Organization concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. Dotted and dashed lines on maps represent approximate border lines for which there may not yet be full agreement.
MALARIA AND MOBILITY
Profound disparities, skill shortages, climate change, natural and man-made disasters and economic and political crisis have
driven up the number of both internal and cross-border migrants. Over one billion people are now on the move, of which 244 million are international migrants and 740 million internal migrants.1
Migration is a social determinant of health, it is
often associated with poverty and social exclusion, which impede migrants’ willingness and ability to access health services.
The Story Of... Malaria – and other Deadly Tropical Germs
The viruses found in the cooler parts of the planet have evolved to benefit from seasonal variations in temperature. Influenza is one such virus, which thrives during the winter, when humans are forced together into confined spaces. Tropical diseases are luckier: they thrive year-'round in the heat and humidity of their region. These diseases exist at a fairly constant level, and are therefore known as endemic.
A Renewed Controversy
The centenary of Rachel Carson's birth has been the cause of much celebration (see our profile) and of some renewed criticism. Criticism aside, few can debate the impact that SILENT SPRING has had on our natural world, and in inspiring citizens around the globe to work to protect it.
Doctor Darwin: Diseases That Cheat Natural Selection
It's a basic tenet of biology that natural selection picks the most advantageous traits and passes them on to the next generation. Why, then, do people still suffer from debilitating genetic diseases? Shouldn't the genes that code for these diseases be removed from the population over time? How did they manage to keep themselves around during the course of human evolution? It turns out that there may be a reason that genes for harmful diseases survive evolutionary selection and pass from generation to generation.
Presumptive Treatment to Reduce Imported Malaria among Refugees from East Africa Resettling in the United States
During May 4, 2007–February 29, 2008, the United States resettled 6,159 refugees from Tanzania. Refugees received pre-departure antimalarial treatment with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP), partially supervised (three/six doses) artemether-lumefantrine (AL), or fully supervised AL. Thirty-nine malaria cases were detected. Disease incidence was 15.5/1,000 in the SP group and 3.2/1,000 in the partially supervised AL group (relative change = –79%, 95% confidence interval = –56% to –90%).
