On Tuesday at the 5th Multilateral Initiative on Malaria (MIM) Pan-African Conference in Nairobi, Kenya, scientists and global health experts focused on malaria eradication, Agence France-Presse reports. "Key among the strategies ... is the development of an effective anti-malaria vaccine, a project scientists have been researching since the late 80s. ... RTS,S is the most clinically advanced malaria vaccine so far, according to the Malaria Vaccine Initiative," the news service writes (11/3).
A press release from GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals, the PATH Malaria Vaccine Initiative and others partnering on the trial said that Phase III trials of RTS,S are "now underway in seven African countries: Burkina Faso, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique and Tanzania." It added, "The trial, which is expected to involve up to 16,000 children, is on schedule, with more than 5,000 children already enrolled" (11/3).
"In Phase II trials, the RTS,S vaccine showed a 53% reduction in clinical episodes of malaria for eight months in children 5 to 17 months old last year, and in August, a trial in Mozambique of kids aged 1 to 4 years suggested that the vaccine is capable of providing protection for up to 45 months, but at a lower efficacy," the Scientist reports. "Of course 53% is not ideal," said Nirbhay Kumar of the Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute, who is not involved in the study. "The world would like to see 80 to 90% efficacy and slightly longer lasting [effects], but clearly the research is moving in a positive direction" (Akst, 11/3).
According to the Associated Press/ABC News, "If regulators determine the vaccine is safe, it could be on the market in three to five years — the first vaccine against a human parasite." Although the vaccine was specifically developed to prevent the African strain of the disease and will not protect people in other malaria-endemic regions, "[e]xperts say it would be a historic advancement."
Joe Cohen, a GlaxoSmithKline researcher, said test results have been promising so far. "No prices have been set for the vaccine, Cohen said, though families in Africa may not have to pay anything for it because the [Bill & Melinda] Gates Foundation, UNICEF, WHO and the GAVI Alliance would provide funds. GlaxoSmithKline 'is committed to making sure pricing will never be a barrier to access for this vaccine,' Cohen said" (Straziuso, 11/3).
Samuel Kariuki, deputy chief researcher of the vaccine trials, said, "We expect that this vaccine will have a tremendous effect in the reduction of the number of admissions we see in the hospital and the number of deaths that occur due to malaria, especially in young children," Al Jazeera reports (11/3).
WHO Official Discusses Emerging Vector Resistence To ITNs In Some Parts Of Africa
Also at the conference, Jonathan Lines, a WHO coordinator for vector control and prevention, said some vector resistance to insecticide-treated nets had been detected in Benin, Cameroon, and on the Uganda-Kenya border, Capital News reports. "There are just signs that when you expose the mosquitoes, they are not dying as they should but we are not yet sure whether this means treated mosquito nets will not work in that area," Lines said.
He added, "We have known one form of pyrathroid resistance for about nine years, one in Western Kenya (of a not very strong kind) and another in West Africa and we have been tracking that." He attributed the resistance to a lack of routine surveillance. Lines said effective vector control was still possible and recommended that the situation be monitored (Karong'o, 11/2).
Diagnosing And Treating Malaria
The Daily Nation/allAfrica.com reports on malaria testing technologies on display at the conference. Rapid testing kits, which the WHO is testing in five countries, "could help shift diagnoses from the current hit or miss management to treating only the confirmed cases," the Daily Nation/allAfrica.com writes.
The article also reports on conference discussions about the cost of malaria drugs. "Speaking at the ongoing international conference on Monday, the director of Malaria Control Team at the Clinton Foundation, Dr. Oliver Sabot, said the Board of Directors of Global Fund would be meeting in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in about two weeks to decide which countries will benefit from cheaper malaria drugs" (Gathura/Esipisu, 11/2).
In related news, a study of some malaria markets found that "thousands of people die each year because they can't afford - or don't have access to - the most effective form of treatment, called artemisinin-based combination therapies or ACTs," Radio France Internationale reports (11/2).