The Global Effort to Eradicate Malaria - Medical Science and Global Teamwork

Greetings to my favorite science community online, StemSocial.

In today's blog post we're going to be talking about a medical issue that has plagued different parts of the world for a very long. We're talking about Malaria.

Now for this blog we're not going to discuss the details of how this sickness operates or spreads amongst people since I'm pretty sure a vibrant science community as this has more people that are very much aware of this sickness.

Rather we'll talk more on the global effort to eradicate this disease.

Original Image Source by 41330 from Pixabay

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Malaria has been a notorious troublemaker in our societies for many years. You might look at a disease like coronavirus and think, Wow this sickness is pretty dangerous but the irony is that Malaria has killed more people than COVID-19 has.

This may come as a shocker to some people but did you know that the estimated number of people that died out of malaria was at around 619 000 in just 2021

Malaria even after our level of advancements is still a disease that is causing the death of thousands. However the good news is that medical science is constantly making headway in the battle against it.

In my blog today, we'll dive deep into the creative and modern approaches that are helping eradicate malaria.

The New Era in Diagnostics

Now when you're feeling sick or ill, knowing exactly what's wrong with you is very important isn't it? - This is where diagnosis by doctors comes into play.

Well, diagnosing malaria has gotten a whole lot easier and quicker with our modern technology.

Come to think of it, some years back we didn't have proper drugs and treatment for malaria, people literally died because of the lack of medication.

Now, you barely have to visit the hospital, you can just get to your local pharmacy, get the malaria test and get treated. These tests are now similar to those very instant-result pregnancy tests, but for malaria.

They're known as Rapid Diagnostic Tests (RDTs), and they do just what their name suggests. They give you a fast and dependable result.

Some scientists have even managed to develop Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), a unique and modern technique that checks for malaria using your body's own DNA.

These innovations are amazing and hold great potential because they help people get treatment faster, which is good for them and prevents the disease from spreading or getting any worse.

Revolutionizing Malaria Medicine

Recovering from malaria infections would involve having the right medicine.

What's helping our world eradicate and handle malaria cases is that we've got some impressive new drugs in our arsenal. The new drugs are more effective with less side effects that the previous drugs we used to manufacture.

This is thanks to our deeper understanding of how the malaria parasite works and how to fight against it.

Some of this advanced and new medicines include Artemisinin Combination Therapies, ACT for short and they seem pretty unbeatable.

For the movie fanatics, simply think of ACTs as the Avengers of malaria treatment. 🦸

The best part about this is that scientists and doctors are continually on the hunt for even better medicines or drugs, just in case the older ones start to lose their powers against the disease.

As we know, disease causing organisms hold the potency to transform into other variants or forms that can withstand the drugs we create. So it's necessary that we keep improving our drugs.

Science Trying to Outsmart Mosquitoes

Now one thing we're all well aware of is that Malaria mainly hitchhikes on mosquitoes. Mosquitoes are the main and ultimate carriers of the plasmodium parasite which causes malaria.

This means to overcome the spread of this diseases, we have to deal with the spread of mosquitoes.

With continuous and rather vigorous research, scientists have been doing some pretty exciting and unusual stuff, like creating genetically modified mosquitoes.

Again for the movie fanatics since I'm one of them, these genetically modified mosquitoes are kind of like the X-Men of the mosquito world.

They've been tweaked in a laboratory so that they can't give you malaria. They're our secret weapon against the plasmodium parasite carrying mosquitoes.

Additionally, there are very effective sprays and gadgets that keep these bloodsucking insects far away from you.

Think of these sprays as the mosquito's kryptonite. Just as superman can't withstand kryptonite, that's how mosquitoes can't withstand these effective sprays and gadgets.

Bed Nets and Sprays for a Good Night's Sleep

Now usually during the night when you're all tucked into bed, the last thing you want is unexpected mosquito visitors. The most annoying thing is the noise they make in your ears before they bite you, suck your blood and also infuse into the bloodstream the plasmodium parasite.

So as you may already know, we've come up with special nets that keep them out. These aren't just any nets, they're made with substances that repels mosquitoes.

They've also got an insect-killing formula on them that kills any mosquito that tries to sneak in through those nets.

If you've ever used some of these nets before, you'll notice that if there were many mosquitoes in your room that night, by morning you can pick some of their dead bodies on the net. There's also indoor spraying to kill mosquitoes hiding in corners during the day or even the night.

Scientists are working hard to make sure these mosquito killing tools last a long time and do their job effectively.

Data-Driven Malaria Plans

In our modern world of smartphones and smart homes, we're also using smart plans to fight malaria.

It's all about using data, just like the GPS, to find the best path or locations where mosquitoes breed the most and cause more malaria. With special maps and data, we can actually pinpoint where malaria is causing the most trouble.

Now that way, we can easily send help to the places that need it the most. Data makes it easier to know where to focus our efforts.

Although we would still require more funds to be raised to make sending help more effective, soon I believe we'll get enough funds to support more people in different parts of the world.

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Community Power

The local communities are very essential in our fight against malaria. They represent our foot soldiers in the battle or fight against the spread of malaria.

The local communities help teach people about ways to stay safe and avoid malaria.

Philanthropic work is done all over the place to help combat the spread. They hand out bed nets, and they make sure people get the right medicine.

Indeed, it's really all about teamwork and making sure everyone is on the same page.

When our communities decide to work together, it becomes like having an entire army fighting against malaria. It makes our efforts more successful and long-lasting. This is why it's really necessary for all of us to come together and with one huge force, fight against malaria.

Malaria Vaccines

Now let's talk about the vaccines to prevent malaria. These vaccines become like your body's personal shields, protecting you from diseases.

Currently we have a vaccine for malaria called RTS,S/AS01, which is a bit like a first draft.

Although to be honest, it's not exactly perfect, but our able scientists are working harder to make it better and more effective.

Now we also have in the works, other vaccines to help stop malaria in its tracks. So we can trust that in the future, these vaccines might be the best tool to prevent malaria from happening in the first place.

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The Power of Global Teamwork

Finally, to take down malaria, I strongly believe that we would need countries, organizations, and regular people, doctors or scientists from all over the world to join forces. This is a huge world problem and it would require the world to come together to fight it.

Big organizations like the World Health Organization and the Global Fund are the best organizations that can make a huge difference in our fight against the spread of malaria.

They help coordinate our efforts and ensure we're all working together.

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To draw the curtains on today's blog, with all the advancements, research, new technology and teamwork, Malaria is definitely in for a rough time.

It's without a doubt that we're gradually getting closer to a world without malaria. - The key here is to keep up the momentum and stay united in our efforts.

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Thank you so much for taking the time to read today's blog. I hope you found it both inspiring and insightful. As always I'll be more than happy to respond to any question or comment you may have regarding today's blog topic.

Have a lovely day and catch you next time on StemSocial. Goodbye 👨‍🔬

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