Scientists challenges African Governments on Malaria Research

The world’s largest malaria conference began amid crucial concerns that African Governments must increase investments in science technology.Scientists consented that eradicating malaria will not be easy in Africa without sufficient funding or limited latest technologies for research. They said the fight against malaria will require substantial funding and a complementary arsenal of knowledge and tactics. Senior Researcher at Radboud University, Nijmegen Medical Centre, The Netherlands, Dr Adrian Luty sparked the debate when he challenged the Pan-African governments to take science more seriously.

AMMREN AT MIM Conference

AMMREN AT MIM Conference

Twelve AMMREN members attended this year’s 5th MIM Pan-African Malaria Conference in Nairobi, Kenya from the 2nd-6th November, 2009. The conference opened with a call from the international community to put more effort into helping to identify sustainable ways of facilitating anti-malaria interventions to eradicate the disease that kills 2,400 people every day.
The six day MIM conference was attended by about 2000 researches, public health official, policy makers and across Africa and around the world. It was under theme, “Building Knowledge for Action”
 

AMMREN Ghana /Burkina Faso visits Kintampo Health Research Centre for Phase III Malaria Vaccine Trial

A group of AMMREN journalist from Ghana and Burkina Faso visited the Kintampo Health Research Centre (KHRC) in Ghana for the Phase III vaccine trial on 1st and 2nd September, 2009.. The Kintampo Research Centre is among 11 research centres in seven African countries selected to conduct the vaccine trials..

The vaccine has already gone through its first and second phases of trials and it has been found to be safe. A total of 16,000 children in the seven African countries would be taking part in the trials to test the efficacy of the vaccine.

Launching the vaccine, the Brong Ahafo Regional Director of Health Service, Dr. Aaron Offei, said that the selection KHRC to be part of the malaria vaccine trial showed how efficient the centre is and called on the people in the community to assist the centre to be successful in its activities.

Dr. Seth Owusu-Agyei, Director, KHRC briefing AMMREN members before the lauch.

Structures put in place to support vaccine trial in Africa

A local and international taskforce has been set up in preparation for the licensure and use of the experimental RTS,S malaria vaccine being tested in Ghana and across Africa.

In Ghana, the local task force is made up of several bodies, such as the National Malaria Control Programme, the World Health Organization, (WHO) as well as Investigators working on the vaccine, epidemiologists and the managers of the Expanded Programme on Immunization.

Dr Kweku Poku Asante, a Principal Investigator at the Kintampo Health Research Centre (KHRC), in the Brong Ahafo region, who is leading the trial into the RTS,S vaccine, said a similar task force had been set up internationally by the WHO for the count down towards the licensure and use of the vaccine.

This is to cut down on the time between the conclusion of the study, licensure and use of the vaccine.

Dr Asante was speaking to the GNA in Kintampo after the launch of a phase three studies at KHRC. It is the final trial that would see the licensure and use of the RTS,S malaria vaccine to control malaria in Africa.

A 150 million dollar facility has been set aside for the phase three studies that would see some 16,000 children in Africa vaccinated and followed to determine the efficacy of the RTS,S vaccine and the ability of the vaccine to prevent malaria and its severe form in children.