“While having this talk 1 350 children have died of malaria.” This provoking statement left the audience deep in thought at Jude Przyborski’s lecture entitled, “Malaria: an ancient parasite in a modern world” at Rhodes University this week.
“While having this talk 1 350 children have died of malaria.” This provoking statement left the audience deep in thought at Jude Przyborski’s lecture entitled, “Malaria: an ancient parasite in a modern world” at Rhodes University this week.
As an internationally recognised researcher, Przyoborski aimed to educate the audience on a disease that has existed as long as the human race.
Malaria, a disease caused by the Plasmodium protozoan parasite, has a complex life cycle alternating between a vertebrate and an invertebrate host.
The protozoan parasites are also capable of developing within highly specialised red blood cells. “The plasmodium falciparum remodels the host red blood cell to ensure its own survival,” says Przyoborski.
One of the most famous malaria victims example was Genghis Khan, the Mongol overlord responsible for creating the largest land empire ever known. However, malaria is not choosy as Mother Theresa was also another famous victim.
Przyoborski says that malaria is largely considered as an “African problem”. With most of the high malaria zones affecting areas with similarly high poverty rates, the question now hotly debated is, does poverty cause malaria, or does malaria cause poverty?
Around the world there are approximately 250 million cases of malaria recorded every year. One million of these infected people die.
Yet what should also be taken into account is the effect the disease has on those 249 million who survive. Malaria is thought to decrease the GDP by 1.3% as those who are sick are unable to contribute to the economy.
With malaria danger zones concentrated mostly in sub-Saharan Africa, the link between poverty is strong. The hope of finally combating this deadly disease is hindered further by the fact as those who are in dire need of the drug are unable to afford it.
Drug companies are therefore unwilling to produce a drug for which there is no market. Further complicating the situation is the parasite’s ability to build up a resistance to any one drug found to combat it these metamorphictype properties are characterised as “antigenic variation and parasite diversity” which also hinder the development of a vaccine.
Although the situation might appear impossible to solve, all hope is not lost. Przyborski maintains that by knowing more about the disease more can be learnt on how to eradicate it: “It is increasingly clear that lessons can be learned from this fascinating parasite, distinct from its starring role as an agent of human disease and misery.”
