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| Tackling drug resistant malaria: one step forward, two steps back? | Tackling drug resistant malaria: one step forward, two steps back? |
| (30 days later) | |
| Malaria is one of the most severe public health problems worldwide, and one of the main causes of death in many developing countries. According to the World Health Organisation 2012 World Malaria Report, more than 80% of estimated deaths occur in 14 countries, just under half of which within the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Nigeria. | Malaria is one of the most severe public health problems worldwide, and one of the main causes of death in many developing countries. According to the World Health Organisation 2012 World Malaria Report, more than 80% of estimated deaths occur in 14 countries, just under half of which within the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Nigeria. |
| The most effective treatments for malaria derive from artemisinin, used in combination with other drugs. However, the effectiveness of this key drug is weakening. | The most effective treatments for malaria derive from artemisinin, used in combination with other drugs. However, the effectiveness of this key drug is weakening. |
| In 2008, researchers found parasites in western Cambodia that are able to withstand treatment by artemisinin. The problem has since spread to other parts of South East Asia. Dr Olivo Miotto, lead author of a Nature Genetics malaria study explains the extent of the problem: | In 2008, researchers found parasites in western Cambodia that are able to withstand treatment by artemisinin. The problem has since spread to other parts of South East Asia. Dr Olivo Miotto, lead author of a Nature Genetics malaria study explains the extent of the problem: |
| "All the most effective drugs that we have had in the last few decades have been one by one rendered useless by the remarkable ability of this parasite to mutate and develop resistance. Artemisinin right now works very well. It is the best weapon we have against the disease, and we need to keep it." | "All the most effective drugs that we have had in the last few decades have been one by one rendered useless by the remarkable ability of this parasite to mutate and develop resistance. Artemisinin right now works very well. It is the best weapon we have against the disease, and we need to keep it." |
| Can artemisinin resistant parasites be stopped? Malaria Consortium, the World Health Organisation, the Cambodian and Thai malaria programmes and partner organisations are working together to contain and eliminate the parasite, indicating that if containment is possible, it will depend on multi-sector collaboration. | Can artemisinin resistant parasites be stopped? Malaria Consortium, the World Health Organisation, the Cambodian and Thai malaria programmes and partner organisations are working together to contain and eliminate the parasite, indicating that if containment is possible, it will depend on multi-sector collaboration. |
| So, what are the ways to tackle drug resistant malaria? What would be the global health costs if artemisinin becomes ineffective? Should all stakeholders now focus on strengthening prevention as opposed to treatment? Join us on Wednesday, 3 July, from 1-3pm UK time to discuss these questions and more. | So, what are the ways to tackle drug resistant malaria? What would be the global health costs if artemisinin becomes ineffective? Should all stakeholders now focus on strengthening prevention as opposed to treatment? Join us on Wednesday, 3 July, from 1-3pm UK time to discuss these questions and more. |
| The live chat is not video or audio-enabled but will take place in the comments section (below). To join the panel, or give your views before the chat, email globaldevpros@guardian.co.uk. Follow our tweets using the hashtag #globaldevlive. | The live chat is not video or audio-enabled but will take place in the comments section (below). To join the panel, or give your views before the chat, email globaldevpros@guardian.co.uk. Follow our tweets using the hashtag #globaldevlive. |
| Panel | Panel |
| Georgina Humphreys, researcher, World Wide Antimalarial Resistance Network (WWarn), Oxford, UK. @WWARN | Georgina Humphreys, researcher, World Wide Antimalarial Resistance Network (WWarn), Oxford, UK. @WWARN |
| Georgina's work with WWarn involves collecting and analysing large data sets from antimalarial clinical trials from around the world. Her MSc focused on malaria drug resistance, followed by doctoral research on the development of malaria in mosquitoes. | Georgina's work with WWarn involves collecting and analysing large data sets from antimalarial clinical trials from around the world. Her MSc focused on malaria drug resistance, followed by doctoral research on the development of malaria in mosquitoes. |
| Innocent Ali, lecturer and coordinator, Central African Faculty at University of Yaounde 1, Yaounde Cameroon | Innocent Ali, lecturer and coordinator, Central African Faculty at University of Yaounde 1, Yaounde Cameroon |
| Innocent is a biomedical scientist by training, a researcher in the clinical drugs and diagnostics unit of the Biotechnology Centre and coordinator of the Central African Faculty of The Global Health Trials. He is also a fellow of the EU-sponsored Poverty Related Diseases College. | Innocent is a biomedical scientist by training, a researcher in the clinical drugs and diagnostics unit of the Biotechnology Centre and coordinator of the Central African Faculty of The Global Health Trials. He is also a fellow of the EU-sponsored Poverty Related Diseases College. |
| Prudence Hamade, senior technical advisor, Malaria Consortium, London UK. @fightingmalaria | Prudence Hamade, senior technical advisor, Malaria Consortium, London UK. @fightingmalaria |
| Prudence worked with MSF and other NGOs as a medical doctor and project coordinator before becoming leader of the MSF International Malaria Working Group in 2006. She joined Malaria Consortium in 2008 and supports malaria, nutrition and control of childhood disease programmes. | Prudence worked with MSF and other NGOs as a medical doctor and project coordinator before becoming leader of the MSF International Malaria Working Group in 2006. She joined Malaria Consortium in 2008 and supports malaria, nutrition and control of childhood disease programmes. |
| Angus Spiers, deputy director, malaria and child survival department, Population Services International (PSI), Washington DC, USA. @PSIimpact | Angus Spiers, deputy director, malaria and child survival department, Population Services International (PSI), Washington DC, USA. @PSIimpact |
| Angus oversees the implementation of PSI's malaria portfolio. He is also responsible for the provision of technical support to PSI programs to scale up effective malaria diagnosis and case management, especially at the community level. Angus has more than 13 years of malaria control experience, most recently, as a regional malaria advisor for Unicef. | Angus oversees the implementation of PSI's malaria portfolio. He is also responsible for the provision of technical support to PSI programs to scale up effective malaria diagnosis and case management, especially at the community level. Angus has more than 13 years of malaria control experience, most recently, as a regional malaria advisor for Unicef. |
| Jörg Möhrle, head of translational medicine, Medicines for Malaria Venture, Geneva, Switzerland | Jörg Möhrle, head of translational medicine, Medicines for Malaria Venture, Geneva, Switzerland |
| With a background in basic research in malaria and a long experience in clinical development, Jörg heads the translational medicine group that manages anti-malarial drug development projects from candidate selection to proof-of-concept. | With a background in basic research in malaria and a long experience in clinical development, Jörg heads the translational medicine group that manages anti-malarial drug development projects from candidate selection to proof-of-concept. |
| Colin James Sutherland, reader in parasitology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), London, UK | Colin James Sutherland, reader in parasitology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), London, UK |
| Colin moved to LSHTM to take a post-doctoral research post on malaria in 1998. His recent work has been focused on how drugs impact on malaria transmission, on the development of resistance to these drugs and on the development of improved molecular diagnostics for all the species of parasite that cause malaria in humans. | Colin moved to LSHTM to take a post-doctoral research post on malaria in 1998. His recent work has been focused on how drugs impact on malaria transmission, on the development of resistance to these drugs and on the development of improved molecular diagnostics for all the species of parasite that cause malaria in humans. |
| Jasson Urbach, director, Africa Fighting Malaria, Durban, South Africa | Jasson Urbach, director, Africa Fighting Malaria, Durban, South Africa |
| Jasson works as an economist at Africa Fighting Malaria and is published both in academic papers and in the popular media, including this piece on resistance and antimalarial drug quality. | Jasson works as an economist at Africa Fighting Malaria and is published both in academic papers and in the popular media, including this piece on resistance and antimalarial drug quality. |
| Sanjeev Krishna, professor of molecular parasitology and medicine, St George's, University of London, England. @Nanomal | Sanjeev Krishna, professor of molecular parasitology and medicine, St George's, University of London, England. @Nanomal |
| Sanjeev has been working on understanding how anti-malarials kill parasites and how parasites become resistant to different classes of anti-malarials. He also project lead of the NanoMal project, working to develop an easy to use, affordable handheld diagnostic device capable of detecting malaria infection, speciation and drug resistance information in under 15 minutes." | Sanjeev has been working on understanding how anti-malarials kill parasites and how parasites become resistant to different classes of anti-malarials. He also project lead of the NanoMal project, working to develop an easy to use, affordable handheld diagnostic device capable of detecting malaria infection, speciation and drug resistance information in under 15 minutes." |
| Tamara Bugembe, paediatric registrar, Bamenda Regional Hospital, Bamenda, Cameroon. @tbugembe | Tamara Bugembe, paediatric registrar, Bamenda Regional Hospital, Bamenda, Cameroon. @tbugembe |
| Tamara is currently working in Cameroon on a International Health Fellowship with VSO and the Royal College of Paediatricians. She writes a blog that tries to collate paediatric research relevant to African children to make medical research more accessible to paediatricians on the continent. | Tamara is currently working in Cameroon on a International Health Fellowship with VSO and the Royal College of Paediatricians. She writes a blog that tries to collate paediatric research relevant to African children to make medical research more accessible to paediatricians on the continent. |
| Kefas Mugittu, director and senior consultant, Muvek Development Solutions Ltd , Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. @kmugittu | Kefas Mugittu, director and senior consultant, Muvek Development Solutions Ltd , Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. @kmugittu |
| Kefas specialises in molecular biology and the detection of drug resistance using genotyping tools and technologies. Kefas has worked on various malaria efficacy studies, having completed a PhD in malaria drug resistance in 2006. | Kefas specialises in molecular biology and the detection of drug resistance using genotyping tools and technologies. Kefas has worked on various malaria efficacy studies, having completed a PhD in malaria drug resistance in 2006. |
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