A Voluntary, Non Profit Mzuzu Childrens Aid Program Created by People in the Communities of Mzuzu, Malawi and Cobourg, Ontario, Canada
Coordinated by St Peter's Anglican Church (Cobourg) and St Mark's Anglican Church (Mzuzu)
Malaria in Africa and Mzuzu
Malaria in Malawi Malaria is an infectious blood disease that is transmitted from one human to another by the bite of infected Anopheles mosquitoes. Malaria kills between one and three million people each year. Malawi’s climate and geography provides a fertile environment for Anopheles mosquitoes to proliferate. This fact has a profound effect on the population of Malawi and in particular to the poor who have less access to treatment. In Malawi among preschoolers 60% are infected with malaria and 47% of school-aged children are infected. 40% of the deaths of children under 2 years of age are due to malaria. Inteventions for malaria include insectecide treated bed nets and antimalarial therapy. The use of bed nets is increasing which is having a positive effect. Antimalarial theray, sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine, is becoming less effective due to the increasing resistance of P. falciparum to the drug. The MAOCP provides the 250 children it serves from St. Mark’s Anglican Church in Mzuzu Malawi with insecticide bed nets for their home use. The larger sized bed nets provided allows for protection for the whole family. News Story from CTVMajor breakthrough in Malaria fight
CTV Saskatchewan A group of Saskatoon researchers has reached a major breakthrough in the fight against Malaria. Scientists with the National Research Council in Saskatoon have helped create genetically engineered yeast that will be used to make an effective anti-malaria drug artemisinin. Gary Goodyear, Minster of State for Science and Technology, was at the University of Saskatchewan Friday for the announcement. Goodyear suggests the development is on par with Banting and Best's discovery of Insulin. "This is literally a breakthrough discovery for treatment of malaria," Goodyear said. "This is a brand new discovery using a plant secretion that we can now produce in a very reliable, stable, and inexpensive way." Artemisinin is derived from the Sweet Wormwood plant. The discovery allows the medication to be mass produced and at a lower cost. NRC scientist Dr. Patrick Covello discovered the critical genes that have been used. French drug maker Sanofi-aventis will use the genes to "reprogram" yeast. Instead of producing ethanol, the yeast will produce the drug-containing compound. "So they've introduced these genes into yeast, and they ferment it much like beer is fermented, and then extract the compound they're interested in -- the artemesinin related compound,' Covello said in an interview. "Basically with our genes they've come close to doubling the yield [of artemisinin]." With help from the Bill and Linda Gates foundation to increase commercial production, the pills will be distributed to malaria threatened areas in Africa and Asia on a break-even basis starting sometime in 2012. (Used without permission so I hope they don't mind)
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