Malaria: failure, puzzle, challenge.

Abstract

The fight against Malaria, one of the most complex health problems in the 20th century, is said to be a failure, a puzzle and a challenge. The fight is a failure because the WHO worldwide eradication program that began in 1956 never achieved its goal, and malaria is currently endemic in 101 member countries consisting of 45 countries in the African region, 21 in the Americas, 4 in the European region, 14 in the Eastern Mediterranean region, 8 in the Southeast Asian region, and 9 in the Western Pacific region. Malaria is a puzzle because even after 30 years of experimentation, researchers are still looking for a vaccine. Although several vaccines (e.g., multi-gene DNA vaccine, protein vaccine, and synthetic peptide vaccine) using the latest technology are presently being developed, scientists conclude that it could take 7-15 years before an effective vaccine is made available. Furthermore, as malaria continues to infect 300 million people and to kill over 1 million per year, a challenge is seen in the inadequate health care services and impoverished socioeconomic conditions of the underdeveloped areas where this disease is most evident. Early diagnosis, immediate treatment, and preventive measures are identified as the key priorities in malaria control in the meantime. In addition, the ancient treatments such as artemisinin and quinine are also considered effective.