Measures to Counter Drug-resistant Malaria, Urges WHO

Governments in the Mekong region must act "urgently" to stop the spread of drug-resistant malaria, says the World Health Organization.

There is growing evidence that the malaria parasite is becoming resistant to a frontline treatment, the anti-malarial drug artemisinin, in southern and central Vietnam and in southeastern Myanmar, the WHO said in a statement.

Malaria - Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, Prevention, Treatment
Malaria is caused by a parasite that enters blood through the bite of an infected mosquito. It is characterized by fever, vomiting, shivering, sweating and other symptoms.

Drug-resistant malaria was found on the Thailand-Cambodia border eight years ago, and has since also been discovered along the Thailand-Myanmar border, according to scientists.

WHO regional director, Shin Young-soo, said countries must "urgently address this issue before we put at risk not only the fragile gains we have made in malaria control but also our goal of a malaria-free Western Pacific Region."

Countries in the Mekong region must "intensify and expand" operations to contain and eliminate artemisinin-resistant malaria, Shin said at a WHO regional meeting in Hanoi.

About Mosquito Diseases
Mosquito-borne diseases, like malaria, filaria, dengue, etc are common in places conducive of mosquito breeding. Swamps, ponds and stagnated drainage provide optimal breeding ground for mosquitoes.

Drug-resistant malaria in Vietnam is mainly concentrated in three central and southern provinces, say health officials, adding that there are a number of key factors which make tackling the problem difficult in the communist country.

The population in the affected provinces are very poor, highly mobile, and have not widely embraced DEET-treated mosquito nets which could reduce malaria infections, according to media reports of a government conference in July.

Quiz on Malaria
Malaria is a common parasitic disease of the tropics, resulting in a million deaths every year. It is most commonly found in tropical countries. The symptoms of malaria include fever with chills, headache, muscle aches, tiredness, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Malaria fatalities can be reduced if they are detected early and treated appropriately

People in the affected provinces often received outpatient treatment and frequently fail to complete a full course of anti-malarial treatment.

Resistance to artemisinin does not prevent patients being cured, thanks to other partner drugs, but treatment typically takes a few days instead of 24 hours.

Novel Compound To Fight Drug Resistant Malaria
Pharma giant Novartis has announced the discovery of a novel compound compound that shows promise as a next generation treatment for drug resistant malaria.

Malaria is a life-threatening disease caused by parasites that are transmitted through the bites of infected mosquitoes.

It killed an estimated 655,000 people in 2010, mostly African children, although mortality rates have fallen sharply over the past decades, according to the WHO.

Source-AFP