7 New approaches for old diseases: what to do about malaria?. (1st December 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Krishna, Sanjeev
• Is Part Of: Postgraduate medical journal. Volume 94(2018)Supplement 1
• Page Start: A3
• Page End: A3
• Publication Date: 2018-12-01
• Subjects: Medicine -- Periodicals; 610
• DOI: 10.1136/postgradmedj-2018-fpm.7
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0032-5473

Abstract

Abstract: Disease and deaths caused by malaria have fallen significantly in the past few years. These successes rely on many interventions such as better diagnosis, the use of insecticide impregnated bed nets and artemisinin combination therapies. There is also hope that vaccines can be improved to assist in elimination programmes that have been so successful in many countries. Gains against malaria remain fragile because effective interventions can fail quickly. Mosquitoes can be selected for resistance to insecticides, and parasites escape from artemisinin combination treatments. Vulnerable populations such as pregnant women still only have a limited repertoire of preventative strategies available. Whilst malaria caused by conventional species is as old as the hills, zoonotic parasites that infect humans in particular geographic areas are emergent infections. Some of these risks of increasing malaria burdens can be mitigated by recent advances. The need for more sensitive diagnostic tests in the era of elimination is being addressed, together with newer methods to monitor molecular markers for drug resistance. New drug classes are being discovered, and there are many vaccine candidates in different stages of clinical development. Together with these innovations and increasing resources to manage malaria, there is also greater scope for applying existing antimalarials more effectively.