AMANET Commemorates World Malaria Day

25 April 2009, Dar Es salaam, Tanzania

Indeed, the World Malaria Day is here to remind us of the intolerable burden and the task ahead of us in addressing the malaria challenge. A hundred years ago the malaria problem encompassed all tropical countries. Today more than 80 percent of the global malaria burden is restricted to Sub-Saharan Africa, with an overwhelming human toll among children and pregnant women. In Africa, malaria and poverty have almost become synonymous, with a growth penalty of up to 1.3% in some countries.  

Malaria Day is the time to assess progress being made in the fight against this debacle. We know that we are yet to win the war but the battle against malaria is being won gradually but surely. In 2008, World Malaria Report showed that more than 25 countries have managed to decrease malaria deaths by half. The report noted considerable progress in scaling up distribution and the use of insecticide-treated nets; many countries changed their malaria drug policies to the more effective arteminisin combined therapy, and funding increased more than ever.

The world is also responding! Today more players are in the field and major milestones have been recorded in the search for efficacious interventions including malaria vaccines. Malaria eradication is now back on the agenda. As the theme for this year’s World Malaria Day goes, and if all stakeholders continue to play their part, we are poised to “count malaria out” from Africa, and the World.

The African Malaria Network Trust (AMANET) believes that strong African leadership and stewardship in malaria prevention, control and eventual eradication is needed. AMANET is leading Africa in the search for effective and affordable interventions by strengthening capacities and enabling active participation of African malaria research institutions in this crucially important endeavour. The reality of malaria is intimately appreciated by African health researchers and scientists. We must harness this special intimacy and experience to develop more effective tools against malaria.

AMANET takes a holistic approach in capacity strengthening for malaria research and development (R&D). AMANET is providing support to the Centre de National Recherche et de Formation sur le Paludisme (CNRFP) in Burkina Faso, the National Institute for Medical Research (NIMR) Tanga Centre in Tanzania, the Tropical Diseases Research Centre (TDRC) in  Zambia and Makerere University in Uganda for upgrading of infrastructure and facilities essential for effective conduct of critical malaria research. AMANET invests in the long-term development of African research capacity through support for long and short term training of personnel at the selected institutions; strengthening malaria research institutions in health research ethics to ensure that sound ethical practice is integral part of the conduct of these clinical trials.

AMANET is currently sponsoring trials of candidate malaria vaccines Merozoite Surface Protein-3 Long Synthetic Peptide (MSP3-LSP) and GMZ2.  AMANET is the first and currently the only African organization to assume sponsor role as far as malaria vaccine trials are concerned. Progress was made in the last year to launch a phase IIb trial of the candidate malaria vaccine MSP3-LSP at the Malaria Research Training Center (MRTC) in Bamako, Mali, drawing closer to real pivotal studies. AMANET will continue ardent collaboration with partners and institutions to create effective malaria vaccine trial networks among African institutions. And with the currently effective interventions, an effective malaria vaccine will add an irreversible assault on the malaria burden and ensure early knock out of malaria.

About AMANET
AMANET is not for profit capacity strengthening African institution committed to ensure that Africans are enabled to steward the fight against malaria through efficient and product oriented approaches. AMANET is registered as a Trust in the United Republic of Tanzania.

≠≠≠

For further information contact
Dr Charles Wanga
Communications Officer
African Malaria Network Trust
302 Ring Street, Off Rose Garden Road, Mikocheni A
PO Box 33207, Dar es salaam
Tanzania | Tel: +255 22 2700018 Fax: +255 22 2700380
Email: clwanga@amanet-trust.org  
www.amanet-trust.org