EMERGING TRENDS IN THE MANAGEMENT OF MALARIA

Modupe Iretiola Builders*

ABSTRACT

Malaria has remained a major cause of morbidity and mortality in the under developed and developing countries of the tropical and sub-tropical regions of the world. Although effective ways to manage malaria now exist, the number of malaria cases is still increasing, due to several factors. A multitude of novel malaria vector-control tools has been developed in recent years, and several of these are at an advanced stage, nearing broad-scale implementation. Researchers have created a credit-card sized tool (malaria test card) to test for malaria. Parasite resistance to almost all commonly used anti-malarials has been observed in the most lethal parasite species, Plasmodium falciparum. This has presented a major barrier to successful disease management in malaria-endemic areas. At present, Artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT), are recommended for treatment of resistant P. falciparum infections. Several nanosized delivery systems have already proved their effectiveness in animal models for the treatment and prophylaxis of malaria. This article addresses the latest research and developments on the management of malaria like new technologies in the prevention, diagnosis, therapy of malaria and vaccines.

Keywords: Malaria, prevention, diagnosis, antimalarial drugs, vaccines.