Kaiser Daily Global Health Policy Report—Malaria

Examining Malaria Data Methodologies

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 14:36:22 GMT

In this post in the Center for Global Development's (CGD) "Global Health Policy" blog, Victoria Fan, a research fellow at the Center for Global Development (CGD), and Felix Lam, a malaria research analyst, examine the discrepancies between the WHO's estimated number of malaria deaths worldwide and the data recently released by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME). They ask, "Given the 1.2 billion dollars by donors to malaria in 2010, is it unreasonable to demand to know with more certainty, how many people are dying from malaria?" and go on to describe how each group analyzed data to get to their conclusions (2/9).

Benin's Government Fighting Malaria With Free Treatment, Cadre Of Community Health Workers

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 14:32:36 GMT

The Guardian's "Poverty Matters Blog" examines how the government of Benin "is making headway in attempts to reduce deaths from malaria" by cracking down on counterfeit treatments, offering malaria treatment free-of-charge in public clinics and hospitals, and creating "an army of ordinary citizens in the battle against preventable diseases like malaria." The article describes a UNICEF-supported program that trains and employs local residents as community health extension workers, who often serve as the front line in providing treatment for malaria or maternal and child health care (Smith, 2/10).

More Collaborative, Flexible Approach Needed To Combat NTDs

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 14:33:20 GMT

"To tackle neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), we need a far more collaborative and flexible approach," Mark Booth, acting deputy director of Durham University's Wolfson Research Institute and head of the N8 Parasitology Group, writes in this New Statesman opinion piece. Booth references the publication of new malaria mortality estimates in the Lancet and the signing of the so-called "London Declaration on NTDs" by a consortium of public and private partners last week and writes, "Malaria is not classified as an NTD because relatively large amounts of attention and funding have been pitted against the parasite. But if we now have to rethink malaria control strategies, then how confident can we be about controlling or eradicating any of the 17 NTDs identified by the World Health Organization?"

Guardian Blog Interviews Researcher Regarding Artemisinin Synthesis Discovery

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 14:51:28 GMT

In this post in the Guardian's "The Observer," Mark Honigsbaum, a research associate at the University of Zurich's Institute for Medical History, interviews Peter Seeberger, the director of the Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces in Potsdam, Germany, about a recent announcement that Seeberger and colleague François Lévesque "have discovered a simple and cost-effective way of synthesizing artemisinin from the waste products of the" sweet wormwood plant from which it is extracted. Honigsbaum notes that "extracting artemisinin is expensive and because it takes time to cultivate the plant there are often bottlenecks in supply," and writes, "Their discovery has the potential to make the drug more affordable for the 225 million people affected by malaria every year" (2/4).

WHO Disputes Study's Claims That Global Malaria Deaths Are Double Current Estimates

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 15:08:00 GMT

The WHO has disputed a study published last week in the Lancet "that claims nearly twice as many people are dying of malaria than current estimates," VOA News reports. The WHO "says both its estimates of malaria deaths and those of the Lancet study are statistically the same for all groups in all regions," with one exception, VOA writes, noting, "WHO spokesman Gregory Hartl says there's a notable statistical difference in regard to children over five and adults in Africa."

Dispute Over Malaria Figures Highlights Lack Of Certainty In Data In Age Of 'Information Overload'

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 15:04:00 GMT

In this post in TIME World's "Global Spin" blog, TIME's Africa bureau chief Alex Perry examines questions surrounding an Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) study published in the Lancet on Friday that suggests "malaria kills almost twice as many people a year as previously believed," writing, "If correct, at a stroke that overturns medical consensus, makes a nonsense of decades of World Health Organization (WHO) statistics -- the official malaria numbers -- and plunges the current multibillion-dollars anti-malaria campaign, and the push to reach a 2015 deadline for achieving the eight Millennium Development Goals, into grave doubt."

Global Malaria Deaths Twice As High As Previously Estimated, IHME Study Suggests

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 14:51:00 GMT

"Malaria is killing more people worldwide than previously thought, but the number of deaths has fallen rapidly as efforts to combat the disease have ramped up, according to new research from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington" published in the Lancet on Thursday, an IHME press release reports. "More than 1.2 million people died from malaria worldwide in 2010, nearly twice the number found in the most recent comprehensive study of the disease," the press release states (2/2). The study, funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, "used new data and new computer modeling to build a historical database for malaria between 1980 and 2010," BBC News notes (Bowdler, 2/2).

Knowledge, Resources Exist To Reach Maternal, Child Mortality MDGs In Africa With Unified Efforts

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 15:00:11 GMT

In this Global Health and Diplomacy opinion piece, Tanzanian President Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete examines efforts to meet Millennium Development Goal (MDG) targets on maternal and child mortality in Africa, noting, "Although Africa has just 12 percent of the global population, it accounts for half of all maternal deaths and half the deaths of children under five." He writes, "Though global maternal deaths are in decline and women's health has at last become a global priority, our goal of reducing maternal mortality by 75 percent in 2015 is still a long way off. ... It is unacceptable to allow mothers and children to die when we have the knowledge and resources to save them."

Ensure Future For Global Fund Or 'Forfeit' Chance At 'AIDS-Free Generation'

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 14:57:07 GMT

In this New York Times opinion piece, Paul Farmer, chair of the department of global health and social medicine at Harvard Medical School and a co-founder of Partners in Health, examines the importance of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria as it faces a "serious financial shortfall," writing, "Beyond AIDS, the Global Fund is currently the largest donor in the world for tuberculosis and malaria programs. ... The question is not whether the Global Fund works, but how to ensure it keeps working for years to come."

Media Outlets Examine Global Fund's Future As It Enters Second Decade

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 14:48:00 GMT

The Guardian examines the future of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria as it enters its second decade, writing, "Despite its staggering successes -- including helping put 3.3 million people on AIDS treatment, 8.6 million on anti-tuberculosis treatment and providing 230 million insecticide-treated nets for the prevention of malaria -- the fund's recent troubles had threatened to overshadow its accomplishments as it prepared to mark a decade as the world's main financier of programs to fight these three global epidemics." The news service highlights a $750 million pledge to the Fund by Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, discusses recent managerial changes within the Fund, and quotes a number of experts about future challenges (Kelly, 2/2).

Rethinking Government Approach To GHI

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 14:25:47 GMT

In this post in the Center for Global Development's (CGD) "Rethinking U.S. Foreign Assistance" blog, Connie Veillette, director of CGD's rethinking U.S. foreign assistance initiative, highlights two recent posts by CGD's Amanda Glassman and Nandini Oomman on the future of the Global Health Initiative (GHI). She writes, "With the Appropriations Committee weighing in by requiring a status report by mid-February on transitioning GHI to USAID, it is no understatement that the GHI is at an important juncture. Declining budgets for foreign assistance will also require new thinking on where the U.S. provides assistance and for what purpose" (1/31).

Collapse Of Global Fund Would Stall Global Health Efforts

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 14:19:34 GMT

"The Global Fund's drive to ensure sustainability and efficiency means that it may not be able to meet its commitments to combat disease, says Laurie Garrett," a senior fellow for global health at the Council on Foreign Relations, in Nature's "World View" column. Citing his resignation letter, Garrett discusses the "the political struggle" that led Michel Kazatchkine to step down as executive director of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria last week and writes, "It is a classic battle of titans, pitting urgency against long-term sustainability. ... Kazatchkine essentially conceded victory to the forces for sustainability."

Previewing Inaugural Malaria Policy Advisory Committee Meeting

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 15:17:00 GMT

The Malaria Policy Advisory Committee, convened by the WHO Global Malaria Programme and composed of 15 malaria experts, will hold its first meeting January 31 through February 2 in Geneva, according to this article in Malaria Journal, which is a prelude to a series on the group's policy recommendations and supporting evidence that will be published following each biannual meeting. The article also "provides the global malaria community with the background and overview of the Committee and its terms of reference," the article summary states (D'Souza/Newman, 1/27).

Reflecting On Africa's Successes, Challenges In Fight Against Malaria

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 15:14:00 GMT

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, president of Liberia and the new chair of the African Leaders Malaria Alliance (ALMA), writes in a Huffington Post opinion piece about Africa's efforts in the fight against malaria. "Supported by the lessons learned from the decade to 'roll back malaria,' which produced a 33 percent decline in malaria deaths in Africa between 2000 and 2010, 41 African presidents have now signed on to end deaths from the disease in their home countries as part of [ALMA]," she writes. But "[d]espite this encouraging progress, much work remains to be done," she continues.

PMI-Supported Study Aims To Measure Malaria Among Pregnant Women In Rwanda

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 14:41:43 GMT

This post in the Malaria Free Future blog reports on a study underway in Rwanda that aims to measure the prevalence of malaria in pregnancy (MIP). The research is supported by the U.S. President's Malaria Initiative (PMI) and is being carried out through its Maternal and Child Health Integrated Program (MCHIP) "so that the National Malaria Control Program (NMCP) can have data to design appropriate MIP interventions as the country moves towards malaria elimination," the blog notes. According to the blog, the study of more than 4,000 women "focuses on pregnant women during their first visit to focused antenatal care (FANC) for their current pregnancy" and is currently at the half way mark (Brieger, 1/25).

Celebrating The Global Fund As It Turns 10

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 14:19:00 GMT

"As the Global Fund [to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria] turns 10 on January 26, 2012, Nigerian families should join in the celebration of this innovative initiative that has saved the lives of millions here in Nigeria and across the globe," Bello Bissalla, project manager for private sector and government partnerships at Friends of the Global Fund Africa, writes in Nigeria's BusinessDay. "Much of the Global Fund's success could be attributed to its performance-based financing mechanism, which creates room for transparency in the purchase, distribution and administration of drugs for these three diseases," Bissalla continues, noting the grant review process "ensures that grant recipients show verified evidence of performance before receiving the next tranche of funding, thus ensuring transparency and implementation of the grant according to the plan."

U.S. Military Provides Medical Care, Education Services To Women, Children In Tanzania

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 15:11:41 GMT

The U.S. Army news service reports on a five-day Medical Civil Action Program, or MEDCAP, in Tanzania, during which "Tanzanian medical providers working in partnership with U.S. service members from Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa provided medical care to more than 2,100 Tanzanian women and children." According to the news service, "The program supported the Tanzanian Health Initiative, a program that seeks to provide a comprehensive approach to health for the Tanzanian people and parallels the U.S. government's Global Health Initiative."

U.S. Should Assume Leadership Role In Saving Global Fund

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 15:26:00 GMT

A funding shortfall led the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria to announce in November that "it won't make any grants to fund programs for at least two years," a Deseret News editorial notes and calls on the U.S. to take a leadership position in saving the fund. The editorial states, "Few worldwide initiatives have the success record of the Global Fund ..., but those breakthroughs may not have much chance to save many lives," and notes that the non-profit lobbying group "Results is calling for the Obama administration to assemble an emergency meeting of donor nations this spring to find ways to ensure that the fund and its programs are able to continue and to provide new medicines where they are needed most."

New Research Could Lead To Cheaper, Easier Production Of Malaria Drug Artemisinin

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 14:44:53 GMT

"Artemisinin, a crucial drug in the global fight against malaria, could soon become cheaper and easier to make, thanks to researchers who have found a better way to synthesize the compound," Science NOW reports, providing an overview of the research published in Angewandte Chemie on Monday. "'The impact of this is hard to overestimate,' says Jack Newman, an industrial chemist at Amyris Biotechnologies in Emeryville, California, who was not involved in the work," the news service writes. Newman added that "the supply chain to make artemisinin has been a huge problem," the news service notes.

New York Times Examines History Of Malaria Drug Artemisinin

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 15:10:04 GMT

The New York Times examines the history of the Chinese drug artemisinin, "hailed as one of the greatest advances in fighting malaria ... since the discovery of quinine centuries ago," noting the drug "is being talked about as a candidate for a Nobel Prize in Medicine." However, "few people realize that in one of the paradoxes of history, the drug was discovered thanks to Mao Zedong, who was acting to help the North Vietnamese in their jungle war against the Americans. Or that it languished for 30 years thanks to China's isolation and the indifference of Western donors, health agencies and drug companies," the newspaper writes.