Malaria research

Scientists from throughout the world are meeting in Nairobi to consider new research and treatments that may help eradicate malaria. The disease poses a serious health threat in Africa, but a promising new treatment is on the horizon.

The treatment is a vaccine called RTSS and has been tested for 20 years by scientists in Africa. Experts hope that its effectiveness will be confirmed within three years, following the evaluation of field trials with infected children.

The best results to date

Kenyan pediatrician Walter Otieno confirmed the significance of scientists' recent research into treating malaria.

"It is the first time that a vaccine against malaria has made it to the third and final testing phase," he said. "If it succeeds here, then the vaccine is ready for the market. We are confident that in three to five years we will have an effective treatment that can be combined with other vaccinations to treat kids."

To date, the vaccine has shown promising results. In the second testing phase, more than half of the children who received the vaccination no longer suffered severely from the mosquito-borne disease.

RTSS has produced better results than any previous malaria treatment but still does not offer complete protection. Otieno advises parents to take precautionary measures against malaria, like using mosquito netting around kids' beds.

Children especially at risk

Children suffering from a severe case of malaria may experience blood loss, brain damage and eventually comas. Currently, a child dies from malaria every 30 seconds. More than 90 percent of the deaths caused by malaria occur in Africa.

"The situation with malaria here is really catastrophic," explained Otieno. "People are bitten nearly every day by mosquitoes bearing the disease. Seven out of 10 children are brought to our hospital because of malaria."

Mothers with their babies often fill the waiting rooms of the medical research center in Kombewa, Kenya. They hope their children can take part in RTSS trials.

"We keep having problems with malaria in our family," said Patricia Mrunde, a mother of six, was recently among those seeking a vaccination for her daughter. "A few weeks ago, my oldest son experienced a high fever as part of an outbreak. When an outbreak is especially bad, his whole body jerks and cramps uncontrollably."

The mothers whose children take part in the trial swill not know whether their children will receive placebo injections or injections containing the anti-malaria vaccine.

Nevertheless, Mrunde said she is still optimistic.

"My daughter already had stomach pain and diarrhea after her first injection," she said. "She was treated here for both problems, and now she feels good again."

Marc Engelhardt (gw)

Editor: Sean Sinico