Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Rome (Fides Service) – Malaria is a growing threat. According to recent estimates every year malaria kills as many as two million people. In this situation it is increasingly urgent to form a global alliance against malaria to help affected countries to prevent and treat this deadly disease. The old generation of treatment, in most cases, no longer works because the parasite has developed a strong resistance to the drugs. How can the international community support affected countries in their struggle to prevent and treat the disease? These themes will be discussed during a meeting organised by Médecins sans Frontières and the Italian Health Institute tomorrow in Rome. At the meeting participants will discuss new artemisin-based combination therapy. In fact to fight malaria the World Health Organisation recommends this new therapy which have proved to be more effective that the old chlorichine-based drugs which, although they are now almost ineffective because since the mid-1980s the disease has become more resistant, are still used in many parts of Africa. Participants at the meeting, which will be attended by the Italian minister of health Girolamo Sirchia, will discuss the new technical-scientific and strategic aspects of the struggle against malaria.. Other interventions will focus on prevention and treatment projects presented by WHO, the UN Development Programme and the World Bank with the support of various NGOs. Giancarlo Majori of the Italian Health Institute will give an epidemiological picture of, with particular attention for the increase of mortality and resistance to available treatment. Piero Olliaro, WHO expert in tropical diseases will illustrate the results of the artemisin-based combination therapy. A member of Médecins sans Frontières, Dr Christa Hook will explain why her organisation has decided to use the artemisin-based combination therapy to fight the disease in the field.AP (Fides Service 30/6/2003 EM lines 30 Words: 344)
