I chose an article titled “Tests on Key Malaria Drug Start in Cambodia” was written Zsombor Peter on January 27, 2013.  This article explains the new trial on the recent rejection of a drug known to fight malaria in Cambodia.  The World Health Organization (WHO) has administered a 150,000 dollar trial to test the drug called primaquine.  This is somewhat of an issue because if they can’t use this drug then it would be pretty much impossible to reach their goal of removing malaria completely.  By the year 2020 the government wants to have no malaria deaths at all and by the year 2025 any malaria infections.  The purpose of the drug trial is to help eliminate one of the two dominant species of malaria which is called Plasmodium vivax.  This particular species of malaria is the culprit for approximately slightly more than one third of all infections.  The problem with plasmodium vivax is that it can be dormant in the liver and continue to infect the individual repeatedly even after the initial one.  It cures people for only the time being because they eventually become sick again.  Although the drug primaquine has been used since the 1950s it causes a problem in people who are missing a specific gene.  It causes their red blood cells to break down and prevents their bodies from transporting oxygen to the lungs and the entire body.  The trial is going to help the WHO figure out how much of the drug will be effective to cure people from malaria, and to prevent any side effects.  I thought that this article was interesting because it seems like as far as medicine goes whenever the government helps, things turn out better.  Also I think that it is such a positive factor that the government is testing out the drug instead of administering it anyway.  The drug has been used for a long time but of course with time things change and evolve.  The fact that they are testing it now shows that they are investing their energy and effort to reach their goals of ending the malaria sicknesses.  It is always good to see another country succeed in making the lives of their people better.

 Antiqua Thurston, 1/30/13, 8:52pm

http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/tests-on-key-malaria-drug-start-in-cambodia-8305/