Malaria is an infectious disease spread by mosquitoes. More than 1 million people a year die of it. Many agents have been developed to fight malaria. But, since parasites develop resistance to available medicines, new research is needed. Pharmaceutical industry has engaged in many research programmes to address this challenge.
Disease: Malaria
Last update: July 2009
Intro
FAQ
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What is it?
Malaria is a parasitic infectious disease, spread by the bite of mosquitoes. These mosquitoes swarm particulary in 'bad air' Sub-Saharian Africa and South-East Asia are the most infected regions.
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Who gets it?
Between 300 and 500 million new cases occur every year. More than 1 million people - mainly children under five years old living in sub-Saharan Africa - die from it. Over 12,000 cases were reported among European travellers in 1999.
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What can be done about it?
Quinine was one of the first effective treatments. Derivatives of quinine still continue to be useful but resistance to them is increasing. A new medicine from a Chinese plant has been developed and is used in combination with other treatments. Great efforts are being made to prevent mosquitoes from infecting humans, including environmental management.
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What does the future hold?
The pharmaceutical industry is actively investigating new ways of tackling the scourge of malaria. These range from the use of combinations of existing agents to the development of new molecules which exploit the sophisticated understanding of the parasite's biology.