In previous posts I wrote about the distribution of mosquito bed nets to the rural communities of Uganda.  This is one way to help combat the unbelievable statistics that a child dies every 30 seconds of this treatable, preventable disease. And nearly one million people (mainly children in Africa) die each year from malaria, the mosquito-borne parasitic disease.

Preventing the initial bites is critical, as is treating people who already have these parasites in their body.  According to research, “an estimated 10 to 100 parasites per mosquito bite invade the liver where they replicate. About a week after infection, tens of thousands of parasites are released into the bloodstream where they are responsible for malaria’s recurring fevers and life-threatening complications.”  (Full research article)

So the question is once these already frail children are bitten by malaria-carrying mosquitoes, what can be done?  New research has shown success in utilizing preventive antibiotics as a vaccine-like immunity against re-infection.  A study published in the journal Science Translational Medicine describes this antibiotic as a ‘needle-free’ natural vaccine against malaria specifically designed to control malaria in poor communities.

“In this study, the researchers showed that the antibiotics caused a cellular defect in malaria parasites during their passage into the liver of the infected host. This action did not prevent parasite replication in the liver but blocked the malaria parasite’s fatal conversion to the disease causing blood stage. The very late arrest of parasites in the liver allowed the immune system to mount a robust defense against subsequent infections, akin to experimental whole organism vaccine strategies using attenuated parasites.”

This is great progress on a research and trial level.  However, in what year and in what areas will this vaccine be available?  Many adults and a large population of children in Uganda cannot wait for these ground breaking antibiotics.  It is important that we use our resources now to provide education and distribution channels for insecticide-treated nets and existing drugs to the communities that are losing their children at alarming rates.

You can help support the efforts to make resources available to what are best described as ‘resource-poor’ communities such as Uganda.  You can contribute to our life-saving and life-empowering programs here