{"id":5147,"date":"2019-12-16T15:56:00","date_gmt":"2019-12-16T15:56:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cusjc.ca\/catalyst\/?post_type=project&p=5147"},"modified":"2019-12-16T21:50:39","modified_gmt":"2019-12-16T21:50:39","slug":"5147","status":"publish","type":"project","link":"https:\/\/cusjc.ca\/catalyst\/project\/5147\/","title":{"rendered":"World\u2019s first malaria vaccine shows some efficacy in children"},"content":{"rendered":"

[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ fullwidth=”on” _builder_version=”4.0.6″][et_pb_fullwidth_header title=”World\u2019s first malaria vaccine shows some efficacy in children” subhead=”The WHO has started a pilot project in sub-Saharan Africa to test the first malaria vaccine, called RTS,S” header_fullscreen=”on” content_orientation=”bottom” admin_label=”Fullwidth Header” _builder_version=”4.0.6″ title_font=”||||||||” title_font_size=”55px” title_letter_spacing=”3px” title_line_height=”1.2em” content_line_height=”1.6em” subhead_font_size=”24px” subhead_line_height=”1.3em” background_image=”https:\/\/cusjc.ca\/catalyst\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/Malaria-Vaccine2A.jpg” title_text_shadow_style=”preset2″ subhead_text_shadow_style=”preset2″ text_shadow_style=”preset2″ text_shadow_color=”#000000″]<\/p>\n

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By Holly Maass and Jeff Pelletier<\/strong><\/p>\n

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In 2015, the European Medicines Agency approved the world\u2019s first malaria vaccine, the RTS,S vaccine. Malaria is an infectious disease transferred to humans by female Anopheles mosquitoes. [Photo \u00a9 Manjurul on Canva]<\/em><\/p>\n

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Of the many appealing characteristics of Ghana \u2013 warm weather, delicious food, vibrant music, and friendly locals who often greet people with a welcoming \u201cakwaaba!\u201d<\/strong> \u2013 the country faces the endemic malaria, with over five million confirmed cases in 2018.<\/h4>\n

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\u00a0Despite being preventable and curable, malaria is a challenge for many nations in sub-Saharan Africa, including Ghana, where healthcare professionals struggle to handle the volume of malaria cases. In 2017, the World Health Organization reported 219 million malaria cases worldwide across 87 countries, most of which were in sub-Saharan Africa. That same year, over 435,000 people died of malaria, and children under the age of five accounted for 61 per cent of those deaths.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Mosquito nets and antimalarial pills are often used to prevent malaria, but these strategies for combating the disease are not entirely effective. Since 1987, researchers have tried to develop a malaria vaccine, mostly unsuccessfully. But in 2015, the European Medicines Agency approved the RTS,S vaccine, a malaria vaccine that provides partial protection against the disease in young children; it prevents the development of the disease in about two-fifths of recipients. Despite the vaccine\u2019s low efficacy compared to other common vaccines, public health officials hope RTS,S can still reduce infection rates and improve the quality of life for people infected with the disease, particularly in children.That\u2019s why the WHO launched its Malaria Vaccine Implementation Programme in 2019. The pilot project is currently underway in Malawi, Ghana, and Kenya, with results arriving in 2022.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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The vibrant Ghanaian fishing city of Cape Coast. Ghana is one of three countries where the WHO is implementing a pilot project to test the first malaria vaccine. [Photo \u00a9 Jeff Pelletier]<\/em><\/p>\n

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M<\/span>alaria is caused by <\/span>Plasmodium falciparum <\/span><\/i>parasites, which are transferred to humans by infected female Anopheles mosquitoes. Once a person is infected, symptoms typically appear after one week, but the onset of the disease can take up to several months. People may develop a fever, headache, and chills. If not treated immediately, malaria can become severe, and people may develop complications including organ failure.<\/span><\/p>\n

To date, the best strategies for preventing widespread malaria infections in communities are the combined use of bed nets and antimalarial pills, explained Magalie Nelson, a senior health advisor and physician for Plan International Canada. The organization provides malaria support to communities in five African countries: Zimbabwe, Liberia, Guinea, Senegal, and Cameroon.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>Bed nets prevent malaria by providing a physical barrier to stop mosquitoes from biting people at night, she said, and they are usually treated with insect repellant. People visiting or living in sub-Saharan Africa can also take medications such as Malarone to prevent and treat malaria. Like many international organizations, Plan supplies artemisinin combination therapies to treat the disease in sub-Saharan Africa.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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