The Other Plague that Just Won’t Go Away

 

HIV is still with us, but for those with access to the right treatments, it has been dramatically contained to the point where it can be non-transmissible and medically undetectable. It only took decades to develop. But one disease that stubbornly lingers, one that could easily spread heavily to the United States with climate change, is malaria. The Bill and Melina Gates Foundation, divorce notwithstanding, has focused on this killer with massive contributions to treatment and research. Here’s what our CDC says about the disease, which infects millions every year:

“In 2019, an estimated 409,000 people died of malaria—most were young children in sub-Saharan Africa. Within the last decade, increasing numbers of partners and resources have rapidly increased malaria control efforts. This scale-up of interventions has saved millions of lives globally and cut malaria mortality by 44% from 2010 to 2019, leading to hopes and plans for elimination and ultimately eradication. CDC brings its technical expertise to support these efforts with its collaborative work in many malaria-endemic countries and regions…

“A very efficient mosquito (Anopheles gambiae complex) is responsible for high transmission… The predominant parasite species is Plasmodium falciparum, which is the species that is most likely to cause severe malaria and death… Malaria is one of the most severe public health problems worldwide. It is a leading cause of death and disease in many developing countries, where young children and pregnant women are the groups most affected. According to the World Health Organization’s World Malaria Report 2020external icon

• Nearly half the world’s population lives in areas at risk of malaria transmission in 87 countries and territories.

• In 2019, malaria caused an estimated 229 million clinical episodes, and 409,000 deaths. An estimated 94% of deaths in 2019 were in the WHO African Region.”

This nasty disease loves the weak and vulnerable, particularly children. Malaria brings high fevers, chills, rising and falling, with an incredible draining of energy; it is a highly efficient killer. As heat rises in North America and Europe, we could be next. But perhaps recently developed treatments and vaccines might hold out hope, if only we could get these medications to those who need it the most. At least, finally, there is a renewed hope of conquering or at least mitigating the impact of this horrific disease, one so powerful, it has brought entire armies to their knees.

The results of a field test trial, “published in the New England Journal of Medicine, focused on giving very young children a vaccine already in use and anti-malarial drugs at the time of year they are most vulnerable - often the rainy season (from June in Burkina Faso), when mosquitoes multiply… “It worked better than we thought would be the case,’ said Prof Brian Greenwood, a member of the research team, from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), which led the trial… ‘Hospital admissions were less, deaths were less in both countries - and we really didn't expect to see that.’

 

“Over three years, the trial found three doses of the vaccine and drugs before the worst malaria season, followed by a booster dose before subsequent rainy seasons, controlled infections much better than vaccines or drugs alone - and, the researchers said, could save millions of young lives in the African Sahel.” BBC.com, August 25th.

 

The big picture looms: human beings populate the earth at more than double what scientists believe is a sustainable level. We are consuming irreplaceable natural resources at an alarming rate and continue to pollute our waterways and air, especially in the climate changing release of greenhouse gasses from an unrelenting addiction to fossil fuels. Nature seems to be committed to culling the herd, but I for one would prefer not to be culled. And that requires personal and governmental responsibility that has yet achieved to any significant level. Time’s up!

 

I’m Peter Dekom, and I sure hope people the world over get the message and do something while pressuring their governments to do the same.