Blog Post 8 - African Study Marks Big Step For World's First Malaria Vaccine

This week’s article that I picked talks about the issue of Malaria and finding a possible vaccine for it. A test doing experimental shots has been proven to cut the risks of young children getting the disease in half. The article mentions that the vaccine is only 50% affective therefore it will take another 3 years before the vaccine will be usable as further testing has to be done to assure safety. This vaccine was developed by GlaxoSmithKline and is targeted toward Malaria in sub- Saharan Africa which holds the deadliest parasites. No price has yet been set on the Glaxo vaccine however the plan is to make it as low as possible.

                Malaria is caused by parasites that come from infected mosquitoes and if not treated soon can become deadly.  Symptoms of Malaria include: chills, headaches, and muscular pains. About 3.3 billion people (half of the world population) is at risk for Malaria. (World Health Organization).  With numbers this high why wouldn’t there be intensive research being done to prevent this disease. Well that is just what scientists have been doing for decades. The area that is most affected by Malaria is Africa; these people however cannot afford adequate medical treatment therefore it is imperative that when and IF this vaccine is finished and safe that it is affordable and supplies get over to the area that needs it the most.  In Africa 1 in every 5 childhood death is linked to the disease of Malaria. This is a social global problem because it affects a large number of people obviously with half the population of the world at risk as well as people are trying to find a cure. These people working towards a solution include Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Nests for life, and Malaria Consortium just to name a few.  I am hoping that this recent vaccine that has come along will be proven affective in later studies but in addition to that I hope that other countries can help sub- Saharan Africa obtain these supplies because I know they may not be able to afford the vaccine even if it is at a low price to Americans for example. 

http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/african-study-marks-big-step-for-worlds-first-malaria-vaccine-still-at-least-3-years-away/2011/10/18/gIQAX9phuL_story.html

http://www.who.int/malaria/en/