History, Dynamics, and Public Health Importance of Malaria Parasite Resistance

History, Dynamics, and Public Health Importance of Malaria Parasite Resistance

Ambrose O. Talisuna,^1,2 Peter Bloland,³ and Umberto D’Alessandro^2*Ministry of Health, Epidemiological Surveillance Division, Kampala, Uganda, Prince Leopold Institute of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, Antwerp, Belgium, Malaria Epidemiology Branch, Division of Parasitic Disease, National Center for Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia


Abstract:


Despite considerable efforts, malaria is still one of the most devastating infectious diseases in the tropics. The rapid spread of antimalarial drug resistance currently compounds this grim picture. In this paper, we review the history of antimalarial drug resistance and the methods for monitoring it and assess the current magnitude and burden of parasite resistance to two commonly used drugs: chloroquine and sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine. Furthermore, we review the factors involved in the emergence and spread of drug resistance and highlight its public health importance. Finally, we discuss ways of dealing with such a problem by using combination therapy and suggest some of the research themes needing urgent answers.


Full Article Here...


Clinical Microbiology Reviews, January 2004, p. 235-254, Vol. 17, No. 1
0893-8512/04/$08.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/CMR.17.1.235-254.2004
Copyright © 2004, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved. 

Delivering Services and Influencing Policy: HCPs Join Forces!

2. Delivering services and influencing policy: Health care professionals join forces to improve maternal, newborn, and child health¹. International Journal of Gynecology & Obstetrics

¹The Health Care Professional Association Writing Group: André B. Lalonde. The Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada (SOGC), 780 promenade Echo Drive Ottawa, Canada ON K1S 5R7. Tel.: +1800 561 2416, +1613, 730 4192; fax: +1 613 730 4314. E-mail address: alalonde@sogc.com.

Members listed in alphabetical order: Zulfiqar Bhutta, International Pediatric Association; Agneta Bridges, International Confederation of Midwives; Flavia Bustreo, Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health; Andre Lalonde, International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics; Bridget Lynch, International Confederation of Midwives; Pius Okong, International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics; Jennifer Harris Requejo, partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health; Jane Schaller, International Pediatric Association; Kadi Toure, Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health. International Journal of Gynecology & Obstetrics

This article reviews the major activities of health care professional organizations (HCPAs), and emphasizes the role they can play in advocating for women and children and influencing maternal, newborn, and child health (MNCH) programs and policies. The ICM/FIGO joint effort to prevent postpartum hemorrhage and the 40-year partnership between the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the Indian Health Service (IHS) are highlighted as examples of how and why HCPAs should assume a leadership role in advocacy work. The action-oriented multicountry HCPA workshops organized by the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health (PMNCH) and the international HCPAs are also described. These capacity building workshops are aimed at strengthening the ability of HCPAs to organize, coordinate activities, and become more involved in program and policy development. 

© 2009 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Read the full special article on delivering services and influencing policy [pdf 311kb]

A New Way Forward: Regional Collaborations in Child and Maternal Health

Regional Collaborations as a Way Forward for

Maternal, Newborn and Child Health: The South Asian

Healthcare Professional Workshop

Jennifer H. Requejo1,2, Kadidiatou Toure2, Zulfiqar Bhutta3, Imtiaz Katz4,
Shahida Zaidi5, and Andres de Francisco2

Institute for International Programs, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 North Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21205,

USA,2Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health, 20 Avenue Appia, CH-1211 Geneva 27, Switzerland, 3Aga Khan University,

Stadium Road, Karachi 74800, Pakistan, 4Midwifery Association of Pakistan, 36-C, Street 14, DHA Phase V, Karachi, Pakistan, and

International Federation of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Suite 3–Waterloo Court, 10 Theed Street, London, UK

ABSTRACT

This article reviews the importance of regional initiatives in the context of global efforts to achieve the
Millennium Development Goal 4 and 5 and describes the action-oriented multi-country healthcare pro-
fessional association (HCPA) workshops organized by the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child
Health. The South Asian HCPA workshop served as a catalyst for strengthening the ability of HCPAs in
South Asian countries to organize and coordinate their activities effectively, play a larger role in national
planning, and collaborate with other key stakeholders in maternal, newborn and child health.

Key words: Capacity-building; Child health; Child welfare; Healthcare associations; Maternal health;
Maternal welfare; Neonatal health; Regional collaboration; Workshops; Asia, South

More...

Malaria Lifecycle

UNICEF: Insecticide-treated bed nets save lives in Ethiopia

Roll Back Malaria With UNICEF

UNICEF Rollback Malaria Campaign

Join UNICEF Australia and the Roll Back Malaria partnership (RBM). A child dies from Malaria every 30 seconds. Malaria is a preventable and treatable infectious disease transmitted by mosquitoes. Malaria kills more than one million people each year, most of them in sub-Saharan Africa, where malaria is the leading cause of death for children under five.  A $10 bed net can be all that's needed to prevent a child dying from Malaria.  It doesn’t have to be this way. The most effective way to prevent mosquitoes from biting is for children to sleep under a Long-Lasting  Insecticide-Treated Net . Something so simple can be all it takes to keep a child safe from this deadly disease. UNICEF and its partners are determined to provide a mosquito net for every child who needs one by 2010. UNICEF is the largest purchaser and provider of Long-Lasting Insecticide-Treated Nets. In 2007 UNICEF bought and distributed 18.8 million bed nets and in 2008 the figure rose close to 20 million. UNICEF’s global target for 2009 is to buy and distribute 35 million bed nets. The roll back Malaria Partnership aims to reduce Malaria  deaths by 50 per cent globally by the end of 2010. The Roll Back Malaria (RBM) partnership was established by UNICEF, the World Health Organisation, the World Bank, and the United Nations Development Program in 1998 to help reduce the impact of malaria worldwide.  The impact of the Roll Back Malaria partnership will see an estimated 4.2 million lives saved by 2015 in the 20 African countries where malaria is most prevalent. Read more about UNICEF Australia's campaign Malaria: The facts Rollback Malarai Partnership Help children like Angeline UNICEF's impact To provide a mosquito net for every child who needs one, we need your help today. Malaria is an easily preventable disease. When we work together, we are confident we can achieve our goal. One Long-Lasting  Insecticide-Treated Net costs approximately $10 and can protect a child from malaria. The more money you give, the more children you will help. Monthly gifts allow us to plan ahead and respond to the worst affected areas quickly, saving more children’s lives. Join UNICEF Australia's Rollback Malaria monthly giving program Click here to sign up online Call 1300 134 071  Click here to download a sign-up form Please return the completed form to: UNICEF Australia PO Box 488 Queen Victoria Building  NSW 1230 or vix fax on 1300 780 522 On behalf of the world's children, thank you.

UNICEF AIDS JAKARTA POST TSUNAMI

UNICEF provides support to victims of Indonesian natural disasters

JAKARTA, Indonesia, 28 October 2010 – Following this week’s double natural disasters caused by an earthquake in Indonesia’s West Sumatra province and the volcanic eruption of Mount Merapi in Central Java, UNICEF is working closely with Government of Indonesia partners to provide emergency assistance for children.

Since Monday’s earthquake and subsequent high seas off the Mentawai islands and the unrelated eruption of Mount Merapi on Tuesday, government disaster management agencies have been leading efforts to meet the immediate needs of affected populations.

Following rapid assessments in the Merapi area, UNICEF is sending jerry cans, household hygiene kits and water storage bladders to meet the needs of up to 4,500 families displaced from their homes by the volcano.

In West Sumatra, UNICEF is sending 6,000 bed nets to protect families against malaria, following Monday night’s earthquake that caused the sea to rush into the Mentawai Islands, destroying homes in a highly malaria endemic area.

UNICEF is also working with the Indonesian Ministry of Health to ensure that breastfeeding mothers affected by the disasters are supported to continue caring for their infants and that donations of infant formula or other complementary foods are properly regulated to avoid risks to babies’ health.

Investments made by UNICEF and other UN agencies after the 2004 tsunami, that devastated the province of Aceh, have helped to strengthen Indonesia’s capacity to effectively manage sudden humanitarian crises.

About UNICEF
UNICEF is on the ground in over 150 countries and territories to help children survive and thrive, from early childhood through adolescence. The world’s largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS.  UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments. For more information about UNICEF and its work visit: http://www.unicef.org/

For further information, please contact:
Edward Carwardine, Chief of Communication, UNICEF Indonesia,
Tel + 62 (0)812 123 7252,
ecarwardine@unicef.org

Lely Djuhari, Communication Specialist, UNICEF Indonesia,
Tel + 62 (0)811 802 338,
ldjuhari@unicef.org

Patrick McCormick, UNICEF New York,
Tel + 1 212 326 7426 / Cell + 1 917 582 7546
pmccormick@unicef.org

Courtesy Ian Sawyers - Rotarians Against Malaria