Research Paper about Malaria and Malaria Vaccine
Malaria is a life-threatening zoonotic disease caused by the parasite, Plasmodium. (Medical Definition of Zoonotic). This disease is considered zoonotic because it was first started by an animal, specifically the female Anopheles mosquito and only this type of mosquito can carry and transmit the disease. What Is Malaria? Malaria can be spread directly from the bite of the female Anopheles or through direct or indirect human contact. https://www.cdc.gov/malaria/about/faqs.html Malaria first begins when the mosquito bites you and its saliva delivers the Plasmodium parasite into your body. During the first week of being bitten, the malaria parasite enters the human liver and begins to replicate itself asexually. After the first two weeks have passed, the parasite infects new blood cells and the host will begin to feel the symptoms of malaria. Symptoms include flu-like illnesses, high fevers, headaches, shaking chills, and body aches. https://www.cdc.gov/malaria/about/faqs.html In a severe case of malaria, the parasite can cause injury inside the lungs and kidneys, can lead to a coma, and can have birth complications with lasting consequences. Malaria: The malaria vaccine implementation programme (MVIP) Many people have suffered greatly from this illness since the beginning of time. Malaria is a painful sickness and its cycle tends to last in the body for a long time.
Malaria has had a long reign on the world and has affected people of all races and ethnicities. During the peak of malaria, it spread to every continent except for Antarctica. (Medical Definition of Zoonotic) However, malaria persistently only affects sub-Saharan African countries. Worldwide, there are about 108 countries that have been affected by malaria, 45 of those countries are in Africa. There have been approximately 247 million cases of malaria, and this disease kills about 400 000 people every year. https://www.cdc.gov/malaria/malaria_worldwide/impact.html According to many studies, very young children and pregnant women have the least immunity against malaria. Despite this disease being very deadly, most Africans have developed strong immunity against this disease. However, because of their age very young children have not yet developed their immunity and the immunity of pregnant women has been significantly decreased due to their pregnancy. https://www.cdc.gov/malaria/malaria_worldwide/impact.htmlAfter evaluating and seeing the effects of Malaria in African countries, the organizations known as PATH and GlaxoSmithKline began making technology and vaccines to help reduce the rapid spread of malaria.
To start off, GlaxoSmithKline is a British multinational pharmaceutical company and is headquartered in London, England (Wikipedia). GlaxoSmithKline is actually a combination of four pharmaceutical companies, Glaxo, Burroughs Wellcome & company, Beecham group, and Smith, Kline & Co.
In 1873, Joseph Edward Nathan had opened up his own pharmacy called Glaxo. Then, in 1880, both Henry Wellcome and Silas Burroughs had founded Burroughs Wellcome and co in England. Despite those two companies working very successfully on their own, in the year 1995, those two companies had decided to partner up in hopes of creating a bigger and better company. By the year 1999, Glaxo Wellcome PLC had become the world’s largest manufacturer of drugs for the treatment of asthma and HIV/AIDS with over 59 000 people employed. They had 76 operating companies, 50 manufacturing facilities worldwide and seven of its products were a part of the world’s top 50 best selling pharmaceuticals (Wikipedia).
In 1830, John K. Smith had opened his first pharmacy in Philadelphia in 1830. His partner and friend, Mahlon Kline joined the business and later created the pharmacy called Smith, Kline & Co. In 1848, Thomas Beecham had launched a pharmacy group called the Beecham group. Those two companies merged in the year 1989 to form SmithKline Beecham P.L.C..
Their headquarters were originally located in the United States, however, they moved to England to expand their new company.
Fast forward to the year 2000, Glaxo Wellcome and Co. and SmithKline Beecham P.L.C. had merged to create GlaxoSmithKline. Very quickly, they became the world’s sixth largest pharmaceutical company. Not long after that in 2001, GSK partnered with PATH to develop the world’s first malaria vaccine known as the RTS,S.
Another organization that was active in the making of the vaccine is known as the Program for Appropriate Technology in Health (PATH). PATH is a global health organization that is committed to improving the common health around the world especially in African, Asian, low, and middle-income countries (Path.org). Their headquarters is based in Seattle with over 1,600 employees and Nikolaj Gilbert as their Managing Director (Wikipedia). Their team includes scientists, epidemiologists, market analysts, engineers, advocates, and experts from numerous other specialties (Path.org). PATH focuses on five specific platforms, vaccines, drugs, diagnostics, devices, and system and service innovations. Together, the PATH team develops technology for vaccines, cervical cancer, immunizations, and diseases such as HIV, malaria, tuberculosis, and COVID 19. They have broadened their purpose to working on emerging and persistent global health issues such as maternal health, child health and reproductive health. Ever since opening in 1977 and for more than four decades, PATH has committed part of their whole company to bringing the first vaccine for malaria into the world (Wikipedia). They partner with many different organizations such as government leaders, social investors, grassroot groups, and businesses of every size and type (Path.org), to help them towards their goal of creating the first vaccine for malaria and many other illnesses.
The World Health Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that takes responsibility for international public health. WHO was established on the 7th of April 1948. Its headquarters are located in Geneva, Switzerland and they have approximately 150 field offices worldwide. There are about 194 countries that have chosen to become a part of WHO and donate to this organization regularly. How many countries are members of the World Health Organization? – MVOrganizing The WHO constitution states its main objective to be “the attainment by all people of the highest possible level of health.” - Wikipedia. Their mandate focuses on advocating for universal health care, monitoring public health risks, coordinating responses to health emergencies, and promoting the wellbeing of people around the world. The WHO has an annual forum where they discuss health issues worldwide. Using and collecting data from this forum allows them to provide technical assistance when needed. This organization has played a huge role in several health achievements. For example, they served a purpose in the development of the Ebola vaccine, eradication of smallpox and polio. Its priorities include aiding in solving communicable diseases (such as, malaria, COVID-19, HIV/AIDS) and non-communicable diseases (such as heart diseases, cancer, substance abuse etc.) WHO prides themselves in aiding the improvement of many lifestyles around the world for the better.
In 2001, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) began collaborating with PATH’s Malaria Vaccine Initiative (MVI) to continue developing the malaria vaccine which is known as RTS,S or Mosquirox. GSK manufactured the vaccine whilst PATH created the technology that helped create the vaccine. Together they went through many tests and trials creating the vaccine for sub-Saharan African countries. Presently in 2021, the World Health Organization has recognized the success that the two companies have had in making the vaccine and decided to partner with them. They have also acknowledged the need for further evaluation before the vaccine can be spread throughout Africa and other continents. Phase 3 of the malaria vaccine has just been created. Now that WHO is joining the team fighting to beat malaria, phase 4 of the vaccine is to be created and evaluated in 2024.
