yes, I believe I have also read that, but am afraid I do not have the source anymore. YH On Mon, 21 Nov 2005, Dr. Alhaji S. Jeng wrote: > YH, > > I think I read somewhere, or maybe I saw it on some TV nature program, that > a fungi has been discovered to which the malaria parasite carrying anopheles > mosquito is an obligate host. What's happened to those developments? Kindly > update me on this one. I reckon, such a biological approach to comnbatting > malaria would be much more environmentally friendly and financially viable > than the chemical pest management strategies used today. Wouldn't you agree? > > Alhaji > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Ylva Hernlund" <[log in to unmask]> > To: <[log in to unmask]> > Sent: Monday, November 21, 2005 4:53 AM > Subject: Africa: Africanizing Malaria Research (fwd) > > > > > ---------- Forwarded message ---------- > Date: Sun, 20 Nov 2005 15:52:38 -0800 > From: [log in to unmask] > To: [log in to unmask] > Subject: Africa: Africanizing Malaria Research > > > Africa: Africanizing Malaria Research > > AfricaFocus Bulletin > Nov 20, 2005 (051120) > (Reposted from sources cited below) > > Editor's Note > > Research on malaria must increasingly be centered in Africa and be > led by African researchers, stressed participants in the Fourth > Multilateral Initiative on Malaria (MIM) Pan-African Malaria > Conference held last week in Cameroon. In addition to a wide > variety of scientific papers on the latest research, the conference > featured the designation of researcher Genevieve Giny Fouda Amou'ou > as recipient of the Young Malaria Scientist Award, and the > announcement of the move of the MIM secretariat from Stockholm, > Sweden to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. > > This AfricaFocus Bulletin contains (1) two press releases from the > Multilateral Initiative on Malaria, focused on new efforts to build > sustainable malaria research infrastructures based in Africa. and > (2) two profiles of African malaria researchers. Other > announcements and researcher profiles from the conference, held > from November 13-18 in Yaounde, Cameroon, are available in both > English and French at http://www.mim.su.se/conference2005 > > For additional coverage of the conference, visit > http://www.kaisernetwork.org/mim/index.cfm > > For previous AfricaFocus Bulletins on health issues, including > malaria, see http://www.africafocus.org/healthexp.php See in > particular: > > May 4, 2005 Africa: Rolling Back Malaria? > http://www.africafocus.org/docs05/mal0505.php > > and > > Apr 19, 2004 Africa: Malaria Action at Issue > http://www.africafocus.org/docs04/mala0404.php > > For current news on malaria in Africa, visit > http://allafrica.com/malaria > > ++++++++++++++++++++++end editor's note+++++++++++++++++++++++ > > African Malaria Scientists Celebrate Arrival of MIM Secretariat to > African Soil > > The Multilateral Initiative on Malaria (Dakar) > > Press Release > > November 17, 2005 > > MIM is an international organization dedicated solely to building > a sustainable malaria research infrastructure in Africa. In 2006 > MIM will officially move its headquarters to Dar es Salaam, > Tanzania, under the auspices of the African Malaria Network Trust > (AMANET). > > "While the work of scientists from outside Africa continues to be > critical, the fact remains that African malaria researchers need to > be involved in parallel if we are going to successfully implement > new research findings and begin to reverse the situation in malaria > endemic countries," said Andreas Heddini, secretariat coordinator > for MIM. > > MIM's move to Tanzania means that mobilization, capacity building > and coordination of malaria research will be directed from Africa > - the continent which has the highest incidence of malaria and > suffers most from the devastating human and economic impact of the > disease. Malaria places a continued unacceptable burden on health > and economic development in over 100 countries. An estimated > 350-500 million cases of malaria occur per year - children, > pregnant women, people living in poverty and people living with > HIV/AIDS being particularly vulnerable to the disease. More than > one million people die from malaria every year. Estimates suggest > that malaria accounts for up to 40% of all public expenditures on > health and 20-50% of hospital admissions in many countries. > > MIM is calling for a new initiative that would focus on > competitively awarded long-term grants that would be dedicated to > developing new "centres of excellence" in malaria endemic areas of > Africa. These centers would serve as hubs for training new > scientists and assembling interdisciplinary teams for conducting > malaria research. In addition, an African malaria research and > control forum will be established to translate malaria research > results into action which will be coupled with renewed advocacy to > promote malaria awareness to the general public and among policy > makers and politicians for political goodwill and increased African > investments in malaria research and control. > > Training and capacity building would occur within the context of > new investigator-driven research projects directed by African > scientists and aimed at developing better tools for fighting > malaria. > > "The transfer of MIM headquarters to Tanzania is an enormous > opportunity. This move is an investment in the future of African > scientists and, indeed, the future of the African continent > itself." said Wen Kilama, Managing Trustee of AMANET > (http://www.amanet-trust.org). > > ****************************** > > Multilateral Initiative on Malaria Seeks International Effort To > Fortify Africa's Malaria Research Capacity > > The Multilateral Initiative on Malaria (Dakar) > > November 17, 2005 > > Yaoundé > > Achieving victory over malaria in Africa, a disease that each year > kills millions and imposes costs that cripple entire economies, > requires a new internationally funded effort dedicated to training > and supporting a critical mass of African malaria researchers, > according to a new plan launched today by the Multilateral > Initiative on Malaria (MIM) at the Fourth MIM Pan-African Malaria > Conference in Yaoundé, Cameroon. > > "While the work of scientists from outside Africa continues to be > critical, the fact remains that African malaria researchers need to > be involved in parallel if we are going to successfully implement > new research findings and begin to reverse the situation in malaria > endemic countries," said Andreas Heddini, secretariat coordinator > for MIM. > > MIM is an international organization dedicated solely to building > a sustainable malaria research infrastructure in Africa. This year > it will officially move its headquarters to Dar es Salaam, > Tanzania, under the auspices of the African Malaria Network Trust > (AMANET). > > A 1999 MIM survey reported that there were only 752 trained malaria > researchers in sub-Saharan Africa, the area of the continent that > each year endures the brunt of the world's 500 million malaria > infections and 2.7 million deaths. The number of scientists is > growing, Heddini said, noting that there are 1,000 African malaria > researchers attending this week's MIM conference in Yaoundé. But he > said many more malaria experts are needed, and, to keep them in > Africa, they must be supported by a system that can provide > sustainable long-term funding and adequate facilities. > > MIM is calling for a new initiative that would focus on > competitively awarded long-term grants that would be dedicated to > developing new "centers of excellence" in malaria endemic areas of > Africa. These centers would serve as hubs for training new > scientists and assembling interdisciplinary teams for conducting > malaria research. > > Training and capacity building would occur within the context of > new investigator-driven research projects directed by African > scientists and aimed at developing better tools for fighting > malaria. These would include new drugs, vaccines, diagnostic tests, > treatment strategies, and mosquito control techniques. > > "We're not asking for a quick fix here but an investment that > allows us to establish a research culture focused on malaria, one > that begins attracting scientists at the undergraduate level," said > Wen Kilama, Managing Trustee of the African Malaria Network Trust > (AMANET), which is based in Dar es Salaam. > > "We also know that creating a sustainable malaria research > infrastructure in Africa does not involve simply training 'malaria > researchers,'" he added. "Given the complex questions that must be > answered to defeat malaria, when you talk about capacity you are > talking about scientists with expertise in parasite biology, > entomologists who can focus on insect control, and toxicologists > who will understand the effect of drug compounds. You also need > epidemiologists, biostatisticians and experts in bioethics, and you > need the information technology and other resources that allow you > to take the research directly to where the problem is." > > As ambitious as it sounds, the good news, Kilama said, is that > Africa would not be building a malaria network from scratch. Though > insufficient in number, there is a core group of highly trained > African experts working in malaria endemic areas, and, in just the > last few years, their numbers have been growing. For example, > Kilama said that when he returned three decades ago to Tanzania, > there were only a couple of PhD's with a good understanding of > malaria. "Now there are at least 20, and I think we have seen a > tremendous increase in human resources focused on malaria across > Africa," he said. > > So a new initiative targeted at building capacity would be taking > advantage of an existing momentum that has brought tangible > progress to Africa-based malaria work. But Wilfred Mbacham, > coordinator of the Fourth MIM Pan-African Malaria Conference, said > unless there is a long-term commitment to their development, there > is a danger that Africa's new cadre of malaria experts will go the > way of many of their compatriots-to Europe and North America. > > "That is always the dilemma with training African scientists," he > said. "They become experts and are then encouraged to go work > overseas. But if they see there is a future to develop > professionally in their home countries, most will choose to stay." > > Ogobara Doumbo, director of the Malaria Research and Training > Center at the University of Bamako in Mali, said there are many > areas where having trained African scientists leading malaria > research teams can accelerate efforts to find new ways to fight the > disease. For example, he said while there is an urgent need to > conduct more clinical trials in malaria-affected areas, without > extensive knowledge of local social and cultural conditions, it can > be very difficult to recruit patients and obtain informed consent > in an ethically sound matter. > > "In our work in Mali we have developed our own procedures for > obtaining informed consent that are quite different from what a > scientist would do in the West," he said. "But without this > approach, it would have been impossible to accomplish what have > been very valuable clinical trials. And as we see more and more > drugs and vaccines that need to be tested in African populations, > the presence or absence of well-trained African scientists could > become the critical factor in their success or failure." > > ************************************************************* > > To narrow the gap between science and ordinary life > > Francine Ntoumi, MIM/TDR, Hopital Albert Schweitzer in Lambaréné, > Gabon > > - One of my relatives in Brazzaville recently fell very ill in > malaria, recounts Francine Ntoumi over the phone from her outpost > in Tuebingen, Germany. The man is well educated, and has a lot of > respect for me. He wanted to take his ordinary Chloroquine, as he > used to do all his life when hit by malaria. I told him it is > counterproductive because of resistance, and to go to the Medical > doctor. He refused. He said: "You have your theoretical knowledge, > but I know malaria more than you because I experienced this disease > all my life. Maybe I need to extend my treatment with Chloroquine > a few days extra, but that will do it!" > > This gap between scientific knowledge and practical use is one of > the biggest problems in the handling of malaria in real life in > Africa today, says Francine Ntoumi. > > -If I couldn't convince this educated man of the reality of > resistance, how can I approach those many, probably the majority, > who believe that death from malaria is brought by witchcraft. > Actually they don't even regard malaria as a disease to start with; > it is just something that happens now and then. Just a fact of life > and quite different from HIV/AIDS, which is thought to be very > dangerous and taboo. You are not even supposed to speak about that. > > In Europe one could think of the general attitude towards "common > cold". Although science tells us that its origin is not in the > chill of winter or the wet of autumn but in viruses that are > disseminated between people, mothers keep asking their children to > put on an extra pullover "so as not to catch cold". Most humans > stick to their beliefs, even if scientific thinking is spreading > quicker in some parts of the world. > > For Francine Ntoumi this gap between belief and science is very > vivid. She says scientists need to learn a lot more from social > scientists of how to word their messages, how to explain the > background and how to overcome the fact that people tend to regard > researchers as dreamers, who live in another world somehow. She > herself says she can understand the way people think. Her parents > let her be educated in France from 12 years of age, but she spent > most summer vacations in the Congo, and finally decided to return > and work there, although she had specialized in something as exotic > as the neurobiology of the mink. But it was unrealistic to envisage > research in a topic not relevant for the needs of her country > > - I wanted to contribute to the academic development in my country, > so I had to change the subject of my research. Not that my old > knowledge is waste, I could use a lot of my experience also in the > field of malaria research. But the urgency of this matter makes it > easier to attract students and funds. Nowadays I am involved in > research activities in Gabon, Congo and Germany. In Brazzaville, I > collaborate in developing research activities at CERVE with Dr. > Mathieu Ndounga. In that perspective I train Congolese students in > molecular epidemiology of malaria parasites and immunology. > Equipment has become much handier and cheaper, so they can do a lot > of lab work in Africa, and then come to Germany to acquire new > cutting edge technologies and adapt them for use at home. These > students represent the future generation of the lab at CERVE. > > Most African scientists she meets in Europe do not really > understand her high involvement in research activities in Congo > which was troubled by the civil war some years ago. Maybe the very > fact that she left Africa so early in life increased her feeling > that "home is home". Francine Ntoumi has a son of 15 who has lived > with her in France, Gabon and Germany. She has always relied on the > support of her parents, but she says it has not been easy to > develop a carrier as a scientist and be a mother as she would like > be at the same time. Much travelling and much late work. On the > whole it is not easy to be an African Woman Scientist. Gender > balance is still an issue and women are still regarded as neglected > entity. But she has made her choice. > > She is the coordinator of one of the MIM/TDR networks, MIMPAC, > MIM/TDR immunology and Pathogenesis Consortium which consist of > researchers from eight research groups in Nigeria, Ghana, Burkina > Faso, Sudan, Cameroon, Gabon and the republic of Congo. They share > research protocols, develop common research projects and students > exchange, within the network and with Northern partners like > University of Stockholm, University of Tuebingen and University of > Marseille. > > - MIMCOM is a revolution! says Francine Ntoumi. This is the means > by which malaria research groups in many African countries have > been granted access to the Internet and to the scientific > community. Something that has changed their whole position compared > to the old days. Now they can follow the international scientific > development and keep updated even if they live in remote parts > where the infrastructure is lacking. This may actually help them to > carry on their work in Africa without feeling inferior vis-à-vis > colleagues in other parts of the world. It has also benefited > malaria research locally, as other institutions realize that it is > an important and prestigious field, says Francine Ntoumi. The > Medical research unit in Gabon and the CERVE in Brazzaville have > benefited a lot from MIMCOM. > > ***************************************************************** > > > The grand old man of African malaria research > > Professor Wenceslaus Kilama, African Malaria Network Trust, Dar es > Salaam, Tanzania > > He is something like the Grand Old Man of malaria research in > Africa, Wen Kilama formerly at the University of Dar-es-Salaam. He > was the lead founder of AMANET (African Malaria Network Trust) > which succeeded African Malaria Vaccine Testing Network. He holds > several prestigious international posts in the field, and is one of > the founders of MIM. He says modestly that his interest in malaria > has resulted in a few significant publications, but the list of > institutions he founded and headed is important. Among them the > National Institute for Medical Research in Tanzania. > > To-day, 65 years old and "chronologically retired" as he puts it, > he is mainly concerned with the ethical side of research in Africa, > especially malaria research. There are several hot issues, for > instance the principle that research involving vulnerable Africans > should only be performed if it benefits people in Africa. Drug > trials aiming at finding good preventive methods for tourists > should be carried through with tourists and not with people living > in malaria endemic areas, who have enough problems as it is. > > -We have trained some 200 people to form Ethical Review Committees, > which now exist at universities and research institutions in many > African countries. But there is a need for further training so that > the committees will not grow into merely a bureaucratic hindrance, > but really carry through their task of making sure that scientific > research respects the individual, does no harm, upholds > confidentiality and so on. I have come to appreciate this as a very > important and serious part of research, says professor Kilama. > > Wen Kilama was born in Bukoba, western Tanzania, where malaria > affects almost everybody. In his childhood, children used to get > scarification over their enlarged spleens in the belief that it was > curative. At school when the children undressed for swimming or > bathing this was a very common sign of how widespread malaria was. > Nowadays medication is quite widespread and enlarged spleens are > rare. There is however still a common lack of understanding of such > characteristics as anaemia or psychiatric complications of malaria, > says professor Kilama. > > He himself went to the US for further studies, and decided to major > in biology, since that was closer to the needs of his country than > the arts where he started out. His PhD thesis was on the genetics > of mosquito susceptibility to malaria. > > Kilama has worked a great deal through non governmental > organisations both to disseminate knowledge and to develop African > researchers. But he feels malaria would need strong advocacy groups > like those of people with HIV/AIDS. There is much too little of > that, he says, even if he recognizes that efforts within malaria > research have been stepped up recently. > > -Another worry of mine is that prevention to-day relies so heavily > on one group of chemicals for insecticide treated bed nets. Once > the mosquitoes manage to develop resistance against any of this set > of chemicals, we will be in a very bad position. We really > shouldn't put all our eggs in the same basket like this. > > ************************************************************* > AfricaFocus Bulletin is an independent electronic publication > providing reposted commentary and analysis on African issues, with > a particular focus on U.S. and international policies. AfricaFocus > Bulletin is edited by William Minter. > > AfricaFocus Bulletin can be reached at [log in to unmask] Please > write to this address to subscribe or unsubscribe to the bulletin, > or to suggest material for inclusion. For more information about > reposted material, please contact directly the original source > mentioned. 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