Malaria Research

A descriptive cross-sectional research was conducted in fourteen communities to investigate the people’s perception of causes, signs, symptoms, preventive measures against malaria and their treatment seeking behaviour. 390 semi structured questionnaires were distributed to persons of age 15 and above in the study communities. A substantial number 84% of the respondents attributed the cause of malaria to mosquito bites, 20.7% attributed the cause of malaria to bad or dirty water while 6.4% said malaria is caused by witchcraft. On signs and symptoms 74.3% of the respondents recognized headache, 64% high temperature as the major sign and symptom of malaria while 54.3% mentioned change in eye colour. There was a significant difference (t=3.372, df= 419, p=0.008) between knowledge of malaria and preventive practices while a one way Anova test showed there was no significant difference (P>0.075) between educational status and preventive practices.

An entomological survey was piloted to generate baseline entomological data in some communities in Benue State where such information was not previously available. Indoor resting mosquitoes were captured using Pyrethrum Spray Catch (PSC) in 2015. Of the 1,734 mosquitoes captured 276 (16%), were Anopheles species. Molecular assays revealed the presence of Anopheles gambiae sensu. stricto and Anopheles arabiensis. Human blood meal source was within the range of 97% to 100% clearly expressing a high degree of human-vector contact. Circumsporozoite (CS) proteins infection status of engorged female species were determined by Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA). The calculated Sporozoite Infection Rate (SR) for rural was 1.9% and 0% for urban communities respectively. The Entomological Inoculation Rates (EIR) recorded was 0.4% per person per night culminating in an annual 146 infective bites per person per year. Our observed data highlights some malaria risk indices in the study com...

La parasitologie regroupe des parasites très divers dont certains, parmi les plus graves, ont un développement dans le sang, intracellulaires visibles après coloration (plasmodies, Babesia, leishmanies et toxoplasmes), ou mobiles extracellulaires (trypanosomes et microfilaires). Leur mise en évidence ou diagnostic de certitude est le premier objectif vers lequel doit tendre toute technique biologique diagnostique et pronostique. Le diagnostic direct au microscope doit permettre d'identifier l'espèce parasitaire en cause, son stade de développement, et le nombre de parasites (parasitémie) chiffre indispensable à l'évaluation pronostique et au suivi thérapeutique. Les techniques à mettre en oeuvre comporteront l'examen direct reconnaissant les parasites extracellulaires mobiles entre les globules rouges ou l'examen de frottis ou gouttes épaisses colorés. Il est souvent nécessaire de faire appel à des techniques complémentaires de concentration, filtration, culture ou inoculation à l'animal. Récemment, le développement de techniques de biologie moléculaire permet d'accroître la sensibilité et la spécificité des méthodes classiques. Cette avancée considérable, à la portée des laboratoires bien équipés, devra s'adapter aux situations de diagnostic à pratiquer en urgence à un coût acceptable. Dans certains cas de pauci parasitisme ou de nécessité de diagnostic rétrospectif, des techniques indirectes sérologiques permettent de reconnaître les stigmates du passage des parasites en dosant les anticorps ou antigènes circulants.

With the deteriorating situation of multidrug resistant falciparum malaria, a new drug or drugs in combinations are urgently needed. We conducted a study comparing a combination of dihydroartemisinin 240 mg and mefloquine 1,250 mg given over 3 days (Group 1) and a combination of dihydroartemisinin 240 mg and azithromycin 1,500 mg given over 3 days (Group 2), to determine safety, efficacy and tolerability. All of the patients stayed in a non-malaria endemic area during the study. By the third day after drug administration, most patients were free of parasites and none had serious adverse events. The cure rates at day 28 were 100% and 69.7% in Group 1 and Group 2, respectively (p<0.01). We conclude that a combination of dihydroartemisnin and azithromycin was safe and effective and may be another interesting regimen of the treatment of uncomplicated multidrug resistant Plasmodium falciparum malaria in Thailand.

Bitter gourd (Brâncuși cultivar) stems, tendrils and leaves from plants locally grown at the "Ovidius" University, Constanța, were extracted in 70% ethanol solution and analyzed for antioxidant activity. The highest antioxidant activity was found in tendrils (53.08%), flowers (51.53%) and fruit pulp (49.64%). Lowest values of IC50 were found in flower (34.46 mg/L) and fruit pulp (39.47 mg/L) extracts. These values are high when compared to other known Cucurbitaceae, especially in regard to vegetative organs. Considering the known contents of bioactive compounds in M. Charantia organs, the antioxidant activity cannot be directly correlated to total phenolic concentrations, those of flavonoids or ascorbic acid.

Os lipossomas são microsistemas constituídos por uma ou mais bicamadas lipídicas dispostas esfericamente, separadas por fases aquosas, cujo cerne é um compartimento aquoso. Tais estruturas esféricas fechadas, cujo diâmetro varia tipicamente entre os 50 nm e os 5 mm, formam-se espontaneamente quando alguns lípidos são colocados em solução aquosa. Logo após a sua descoberta, na década de sessenta, surgiu a ideia de que poderiam ser usados como transportadores de compostos farmacologicamente activos, dado serem constituídos por compostos naturais, relativamente não-tóxicos e biodegradáveis.

Introduction: Hyper-reactive malarial splenomegaly is a leading cause of large tropical splenomegaly in endemic zones. Here, we report a case diagnosed in a young woman living in Guinea, a malaria-endemic area. Clinical observation: A 32-year-old Guinean woman with a history of repetitive malaria infection episodes presented to the internal medicine outpatient clinic with 5-months history of voluminous mass of the left flank extending to the umbilical region, with no pain and progressive onset, and a sensation of early satiety accompanied by eructation and epigastralgia worsened with eating. Digestive examination revealed a large, firm, smooth-surfaced, painless splenomegaly with a splenic size 20 centimeters below the left costal margin on the mid-clavicular line and measuring 28 centimeters in its long axis. The initial complete blood count showed a normocytic normochromic anemia with lymphocytosis, neutropenia and thrombocytopenia. The erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) was 65 mm at the first hour. Malaria rapid diagnostic test (RDT) was positive for Plasmodium. The thick blood smear had come back negative. Serum protein electrophoresis demonstrated a decrease in albumin to 36.5 g/l and an increase in gamma globulins to 19.1 g/l. Immunoelectrophoresis of serum proteins showed a polyclonal increase in IgG. Abdominal ultrasound revealed enormous homogeneous splenomegaly (180 millimeters). The diagnosis of Hyper-reactive malarial splenomegaly was made on the basis of diagnostic criteria established by Fakunle et al in 1981. Our patient presented with enlarged splenomegaly, negative thick smear, positive RDT for plasmodium, elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate, lymphocytosis, pancytopenia, and a good therapeutic response. Atovaquone-proguanil 250mg/100 mg at a dose of 1000mg/400 mg, i.e. 4 tablets taken as a single dose over three days, was initiated, then relayed by alternance of doxycycline 100 mg (100 mg once daily) for 1 month and nivaquine 100 mg (100 mg once daily) for 1 month. The 2-month follow-up visit was marked by the disappearance of digestive signs, on 3 month follow-up visit by regression of splenomegaly with splenic size at 15.5 centimeters, and on 4-month follow-up visit it was at 9.5 centimeters.
Conclusion: Hyper-reactive malarial splenomegaly, although a rare form of chronic plasmodial infection, should not be overlooked by physicians taking charge of this case, infectiologist, hematologist and internist.

The goal of this project was to develop an AI-powered app for predictive modeling and forecasting of malaria prevention in Liberia, with focus on predicting transmission risk, forecasting outbreaks, and identifying key determinants of malaria. The aimed was to address a significant public health problem Liberia by leveraging AI technologies.

The project team chose to integrate the Random Forest Regression model as the AI approach for this project due to its capability to handle complex datasets, handle non-linear relationships, and provide interpretative results. Before starting the project, we conducted thorough research on malaria prevention strategies, data sources, and AI methodologies to ensure the project's success.

Background Malaria remains a significant health challenge in sub-Saharan Africa, with early diagnosis critical to reducing its morbidity and mortality. Despite the increasing Plasmodium spp. diagnostic capabilities, access to testing is limited in some cases by the almost absolute requirement for blood from potentially infected subjects as the only sample source for all conventional methods. A rapid test on non-invasive specimen with comparable performance to microscopy for the screening or diagnosis of all participants is invaluable. This study sought to compare conventional and non-invasive diagnostic tools for detecting Plasmodium falciparum. Methods This was a cross-sectional study, carried out between March and August 2019 to evaluate and compare the diagnostic performance of a PfHRP2/pLDH-based malaria rapid diagnostic test (mRDT) on patients’ blood, saliva and urine relative to conventional light microscopy and nested PCR at outpatient clinics in the Buea and Tiko health dist...

Introduction: Seasonal malaria chemoprevention (SMC) was adopted in 2019 in two health zones in Benin where malaria transmission is very high. Positive results led to the extension of the intervention to other zones with additional financial support. Annual SMC campaigns from 2021 to 2023 were carried out in all six health zones in the Atacora and Alibori departments. In five years of implementation, various approaches have been developed on the basis of a communication plan facilitating buy-in and acceptance by all stakeholders. The aim of this study was to assess the effective coverage and acceptance of the SMC by their beneficiary populations in 2023. Methods: It was a cross-sectional study with an analytical focus. Data collection took place from November 30 to December 13, 2023. The study population consisted of children under 5 years of age residing in the departments of Atacora and Alibori in northern Benin. A total of 3573 children under 5 years of age were included in the study, and their parents or guardians were interviewed. Results: During the 2023 campaign, 87.7% of targets were reached by SMC administration and 100.00% of children had received at least one dose of SMC by the fourth visit. Effective therapeutic coverage of SMC was 70.55%, with 99.60% in BNK, 69.40% in KGS, 16.20% in MK, 56.10% in 2KP, 92.40% in NBT and 89.60% in TMC. This coverage was statistically related to child and respondent ages (p < 0.01), good levels of education (p < 0.

This paper focuses on the introduction of Western medicine in colonial India and its relationship with indigenous Indian medical practices against the background of Amitav Ghosh's The Calcutta Chromosome. It tries to locate an alternative narrative of the subalterns who, instead of conceding subordination, actually manipulate the state of the art of contemporary malaria research in early 20th century and reincarnate themselves in a futuristic New York but never let the elites discover their true motive. Simultaneously, it throws light on instances of epistemic violence because of cultural encounters.

Plasmodium vivax has turned out to be primarily a parasite that inhabits fixed tissue niches. It is not, after all, mainly a parasite of peripherally circulating blood. The same applies to P. falciparum, but apparently to a lesser extent. Certainly, in the case of P. vivax, a hidden endosplenic reproductive cycle takes place in a major way (see PowerPoint presentation). My predictive contributions (since parroted by some authors without citing them) include the published conclusion I reached in 2011 (elaborated upon by me in later publications, particularly in a 2017 paper in Trends in Parasitology, vol. 33, no. 7, pp. 492–495) that non-circulating merozoites can give rise to recurrences of P. vivax malaria. Additionally, in 2019, I theorized on the basis of solid biochemical information as to why primaquine and tafenoquine, which are conventionally mostly thought of as being hypnozoitocides, hepatic schizontocides and gametocytocides, probably act broadly against the massive concealed asexual parasite reservoir as well (Trends in Parasitology, vol. 35, no. 11, pp. 857–859). The bottom line is that a paradigm shift in our knowledge of the biology of Plasmodium in humans has taken place. Much of both earlier and recent literature on human malaria and its treatment, including various papers on mathematical modeling, might now be redundant in terms of the biological rationale contained therein and/or the interpretation of research results. However, some datasets could perhaps be revisited.

This study aims to evaluate the factors influencing the adherence to the 2nd and 3rd doses during each cycle of seasonal malaria chemoprevention (SMC) in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger. Overall, 3,132 people were interviewed during surveys between 2019 and 2020 in 15 health districts. The median age was 30 years. In Burkina , Mali, and Niger, the proportions of non-adherence were 4.15% , 5.60%, and 13.30%, respectively (95% CI (-3.27% -0.37 %, p = 0.114 ) for the 2nd dose and 3.98%, 5.60% and 14.39% for the 3rd dose. The main cause of non-adherence to the 2nd and 3rd doses was other illnesses in 28.5% and 29.78% respectively in Burkina, 5.35% and 5.35% in Mali and 1.6% and 0.75% in Niger. It was followed by vomiting in 12.24% and 10.63% for Burkina and 2.45% and 3.78% in Niger. The last causes were refusal in 6.12% and 4.25% in Burkina , 33.9% and 15.25% in Mali and 0.8% and 1.51% in Niger. Non-adherence of doses related to parents was primary due to their absence in 28.5% and 27.65%...

Contribution/ Originality: This work contributes to new ways of reducing mosquito bites, hence incidence of malaria. A new approach, the olfactometer, was used to investigate the mosquito vector. A direct comparison of naturally growing mosquito repellents, Striga hermonthica and Hyptis suaveolens, was established, for possible use to formulate herbal mosquito repellents. 1. INTRODUCTION Malaria continues to be a major public health problem in the tropical world. It is the principal cause of morbidity and mortality in all sub-Saharan countries accounting for 10%-30% of all hospital admissions,

MÁS ALLÁ DE LA BIOMEDICINA: APROXIMACIONES SOCIOCULTURALES A
LAS CRISIS DE SALUD PUERTORRIQUEÑAS.

Mesa redonda con la participación de la Dra. Ramonita Vega Lugo (UPRM),
el Dr. César Salcedo Chirinos (UPRRP) y el Mtro. Daniel Mora Ortiz (RCM)

BACKGROUND: Malaria still remains a major public health problem globally including in Indonesia. At present, most of malaria cases are in the eastern part of the country. However, there is no information yet regarding the trends of malaria prevalence at rural health institution particularly at Mangili Public Health Centre. AIM: This study aims to explore the trend of malaria prevalence over a 10-year period. METHODS: A retrospective study was carried out in the center. The laboratory record books from January 2013 to December 2022 were carefully reviewed to identify malaria cases based on the sex, age, type of Plasmodium, year, and month when the patients diagnosed malaria microscopically. The trend analysis was applied to identify the trend of malaria over the period under review. RESULTS: Over the past 10 years, 19,938 blood films were requested for malaria diagnosis at the health center. From this number, 3.679 (18.5%, with 95% confidence interval (CI): 17.2-19.7) were microscopically confirmed malaria cases. From the total cases, prevalence of Plasmodium falciparum (Pf), vivax and mix infection was 85.5% with 95% CI: 84.3-86.8; 6.39% with 95% CI: 3.26-9.51; and 7.58% with 95% CI: 4.48-10.7, respectively. The number of malaria cases reached a peak in January, while it was the lowest in October. Overall trend on the prevalence of malaria decreased significantly; however, the prevalence of Pf increased considerably during COVID-19 pandemic. The prevalence of Pf, vivax, and mixed infection was higher in male, age group ≥ 15, and student than their counterpart. CONCLUSION: Malaria remains high in this area with Pf that is the dominant species followed by mixed infection. Scaling up malaria control and prevention activities is very crucial to significantly reduce the burden of malaria and to boost malaria elimination in this region.

Introduction: Malaria, caused by the Plasmodium parasite and transmitted by Anopheles mosquitoes, remains a significant global health challenge, particularly in tropical regions. Despite a rise in cases, global malariarelated deaths have declined, indicating the success of control programs. Indonesia, committed to eliminating malaria by 2030, faces challenges with uneven distribution of cases, particularly in Eastern regions, necessitating targeted efforts for elimination.

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Malaria is the leading cause of death globally, especially in sub-Saharan African countries claiming over 400,000 deaths globally each year, underscoring the critical need for continued efforts to combat this preventable and treatable disease. The objective of this study is to provide statistical guidance on the optimal preventive and control measures against malaria. Data have been collected from reliable sources, such as World Health Organization, UNICEF, Our World in Data, and STATcompiler. Data were categorized according to the factors and sub-factors related to deaths caused by malaria. These factors and sub-factors were determined based on root cause analysis and data sources. Using JMP 16 Pro software, both linear and multiple linear regression were conducted to analyze the data. The analyses aimed to establish a linear relationship between the dependent variable (malaria deaths in the overall population) and independent variables, such as life expectancy, malaria prevalence in children, net usage, indoor residual spraying usage, literate population, and population with inadequate sanitation in each selected sample country. The statistical analysis revealed that using insecticide treated nets (ITNs) by children and individuals significantly decreased the death count, as 1,000 individuals sleeping under ITNs could reduce the death count by eight. Based on the statistical analysis, this study suggests more rigorous research on the usage of ITNs.

Malaria is a disease transmitted by mosquitos and caused by Plasmodium protozoan parasites. Although over the past 20 years, there has been a dramatic decline in malaria-related morbidity and mortality, the disease still poses a serious threat to public health in many countries. This emphasizes how vitally better prevention, treatment, and management techniques for malaria must be developed to move closer to the disease's eradication eventually. The creation and widespread use of a malaria vaccine that is both highly efficacious and capable of producing long-lasting immunity against malaria will ideally be part of this. In terms of malaria vaccination, there are over a dozen of these in clinical development. The most recent malaria vaccine, RTS, S/AS01 also referred to as Mosquirix, has been proven in phase III trials to have a modest efficacy against clinical malaria in infants aged five to seventeen months. It is advised for use in young children who are most vulnerable to infection by P. falciparum, the deadliest human malaria parasite. This recommendation comes from the World Health Organization. The need for more effective malaria vaccinations is widely acknowledged. The most advanced candidate for malaria immunization, the chemo-attenuated sporozoite vaccine showed high-level efficacy and feasibility.

Background: The first case of the novel coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) in West Africa was first confirmed in Nigeria in February 2020. Since then, several public health interventions and preventive measures have been implemented to curtail transmission of the causative agent, the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Therefore, this study was performed to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of West Africans towards COVID-19. Methods: An online survey was conducted between 29 September to 29 October 2020 among West Africans. Thirty-three survey questions were designed to collate demographics data and participants’ knowledge, attitude and perception towards COVID-19.Results: Overall, 1106 respondents from 16 West African countries, ranging from 1 to 548 with about 11.8% residing outside the subregion, participated in the survey. The respondents had an average COVID-19 knowledge score of 67.82 ± 8.31, with knowledge of the disease significantly...

Malaria is one of the infectious illnesses of the highest scientific significance and importance to international health organizations. Plasmodium falciparum, the parasite responsible for a highly severe form of the disease in Africa, has traditionally received the most attention. However, in the last two decades, the Plasmodium vivax parasite, which is linked to a large number of cases in Latin America, the Middle East, South and Southeast Asia, the Horn of Africa, and Oceania, has sparked enormous interest, owing to published evidence that it can cause severe malaria, among other things. Malaria is a worldwide public health problem, with a saw 247 million cases recorded in 2021. African countries accounted for approximately 94% of all reported cases. So far, over 200 distinct varieties of protozoa have been discovered and identified, with at least 13 of them being pathogenic to humans. The malaria parasite's life cycle is a complex process involving a mosquito with the species Anopheles and a vertebrate host. Artemether is a lipid-soluble artemisinin derivative. It is available in both oral and intramuscular forms. It is also available as a fixed-dose formulation with lumefantrine. Artemether-lumefantrine is one of the ACTs authorized by the WHO and is being used by the majority of countries transitioning from less effective medications to ACTs. However, the emergence of antimalarial medication resistance poses a significant challenge to malaria control. It works by killing the pathogenic organisms responsible for malaria. It is known as an antimalarial medication, and it is more effective than quinine therapies.

The use of long-lasting insecticide-treated net (LLITN) is an evidence-based approach to reducing malaria transmission and burden. This study was aimed at evaluating the factors responsible for the low usage of long-lasting insecticide-treated nets among pregnant women attending antenatal clinics in Ughelli North, Delta State, Nigeria. This study was a hospital-based descriptive cross-sectional study of 413 pregnant women conducted using a structured interviewer-administered questionnaire. The participants were recruited using the non-probability convenience sampling method. Chi-square test was used to determine the association between variables and LLITN usage while multivariate binary logistic regression was used to determine the significant predictors of LLITN utilization. Most of the respondents had at least secondary education (92%). More than 50% of the participants were self-employed, multiparous, earned less than the minimum wage and lived in urban areas. Most of the respondents (81.4%) own a LLITN and had used it at least once in their current pregnancy (78.5%). However, only a few (36.1%) use it daily. The main reason for not using the LLITN was heat (65.2%). The place of residenceliving in a rural area (Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR): 4.15; 95% CI 2.07-8.34), being multiparous (AOR: 4.09; 95% CI 1.71-9.76) and earning above the national minimum wage (AOR: 2.11; 95% CI 1.17-3.82) were found to be the significant determinants for the daily usage of the LLITN. Aside from increasing the distribution of free LLITNs to pregnant women, there is a need for policies that will promote its daily usage.

Malaria merupakan salah satu penyakit tular vektor yang menjadi masalah kesehatan masyarakat, dan masih sering menimbulkan kejadian luar biasa di Indonesia. Dari 82 spesies Anophele yang ditemukan, diantaranya telah dikonfirmasi dapat berperan sebagai vektor malaria di Indonesia. Pengendalian vektor masih merupakan salah satu cara intervensi yang effektif untuk memutus rantai penularan malaria, oleh karena itu pemahaman tentang bio-ecologi s merupakan hal penting sebagai dasar untuk menentukan strategi pengendaliannya. Beberapa aspek perilaku vektor mempunyai dampak langsung dan tidak langsung untuk menentukan intervensi pencegahan dan pengendalian malaria. Penelitian dilakukan dengan human landing (HLC) dan resting collection. Artikel ini membahas hasil penelitian tentang beberapa aspek perilaku vektor malaria dari populasi Lampung pada bulan September 2008-bulan Agustus 2009. Sembilan spesies nyamuk Anopheles ditemukan di dua daerah di Lampung selama penelitian, yaitu: An. sundaicus, An. vagus, An. tesselatus, An. barbirostris, An. vagus, An.minimus, An. aconitus, An. subpictus, dan An.annularis, dan nyamuk An. sundaicus merupakan spesies yang dominan yang berperan sebagai vektor malaria. Kepadatan populasi nyamuk An. sundaicus yang dinyatakan dalam man biting rate () di Padang Cermin di luar rumah 18,1 pada bulan September 2008 dan 113,78 pada bulan Desember 2008, sedangkan di dalam rumah berturut turut dari 25,78 and 102. 44 pada bulan September dan Desember 2008. Nyamuk An. sundaicus di daerah Lampung cenderung bersifat outdoor biter, disamping itu kepadatan populasi di dalam dan di luar rumah tidak saling mempengaruhi. Puncak kepadatan dari An. sundaicus dilaporkan terjadi pada bulan Nopember pada waktu itu masih musim kemarau, dan puncak kepadatan kedua terjadi pada bulan Maret dan bulan April, serta bulan Juni 2009. Selama musim kemarau kepadatan populasi cenderung lebih tinggi dibanding musim penghujanPopulasi An. sundaicus di daerah penelitian ditemukan aktif menghisap darah sepanjang malam, mulai aktif dari matahari terbenam, berlansung sepanjang malam sampai matahari terbit danpuncak aktivitasnya beragam dari waktu ke waktu. Namun demikian, lebih banyak ditemukan puncak aktivitas terjadi setelah tengah malam sampai pukul tiga pagi. Nyamuk An. sundaicus di daerah Lampung bersifat anthropophilic, exophagic, and exophilic. Spesies ini hanya ditemukan dalam jumlah yang sangat kecil hinggap di dalam rumah, disamping itu juga tidak mudah menemukannya beristirahat di luar rumah di dua daerah penelitian.

African malaria mosquitoes (Anopheles gambiae sensu stricto) transmit a malaria parasite (Plasmodium falciparum) to humans. The current control strategies for the vector have mainly focussed on synthetic products, which negatively impact the environment and human health. Given the potential use of environmentally friendly plant-derived volatiles as a control, this work aims to examine and compare the repellency potential of essential oils and headspace volatiles from Ocimum gratissimum, Ocimum tenuiflorum, and Ocimum basilicum and their chemical compositions. The repellency potential and chemical composition of the plants were achieved by using the protected arm-in-cage method and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis. Among the three Ocimum species, both the essential oils and the headspace volatiles from O. tenuiflorum achieved the longest repellency time lengths of 90–120 minutes. One hundred and one (101) chemical constituents were identified in the headspace vol...

Hypoxia during pregnancy presents significant challenges to maternal and fetal health, often resulting in adverse outcomes such as intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), preterm birth, and long-term health complications for the offspring. This review explores the critical roles of genetics and epigenetics in mediating the effects of hypoxia on placental function and fetal development. Genetic variations can influence individual responses to hypoxic conditions, impacting pathways involved in oxygen sensing, inflammation, and angiogenesis. Additionally, epigenetic modifications, including DNA methylation and histone modifications, can alter gene expression in response to maternal hypoxia, affecting placental adaptation and function. The interplay between genetic predispositions and epigenetic changes in response to hypoxia has significant implications for pregnancy outcomes. Variations in genes related to the hypoxic response can modulate placental function, while epigenetic alterations can induce lasting changes in gene expression patterns that may affect fetal health both immediately and transgenerationally.

Maternal hypoxia, characterized by insufficient oxygen supply during pregnancy, can have profound and lasting effects on offspring health that extend beyond the immediate neonatal period. This review explores the long-term consequences of maternal hypoxia, emphasizing its impact on physical, cognitive, and metabolic health in children and adolescents. Evidence suggests that exposure to hypoxic conditions in utero can lead to increased risks of cardiovascular issues, neurodevelopmental disorders, and metabolic diseases in later life. The mechanisms underlying these long-term effects include epigenetic modifications, which alter gene expression without changing the DNA sequence. Research indicates that maternal hypoxia can induce specific epigenetic changes that persist into adulthood, potentially predisposing offspring to various chronic conditions. The interplay between maternal health, placental function, and fetal development highlights the importance of addressing hypoxia during pregnancy to mitigate its detrimental impacts.

Introduction: Seasonal malaria chemoprevention (SMC) was adopted in 2019 in two health zones in Benin where malaria transmission is very high. Positive results led to the extension of the intervention to other zones with additional financial support. Annual SMC campaigns from 2021 to 2023 were carried out in all six health zones in the Atacora and Alibori departments. In five years of implementation, various approaches have been developed on the basis of a communication plan facilitating buy -in and acceptance by all stak eholders. The aim of this study was to assess the effective coverage and acceptance of the SMC by their beneficiary populations in 2023. Methods: It was a cross-sectional study with an analytical focus. Data collection took place from November 30 to December 13, 2023. The study population consisted of children under 5 years of age residing in the departments of Atacora and Alibori in northern Benin. A total of 3573 children under 5 years of age were included in the study, and their parents or guardians were interviewed. Results: During the 2023 campaign, 87.7% of targets were reached by SMC administration and 100.00% of children had received at least one dose of SMC by the fourth visit. Effective therapeutic coverage of SMC was 70.55%, with 99.60% in BNK, 69.40% in KGS, 16.20% in MK, 56.10% in 2KP, 92.40% in NBT and 89.60% in TMC. This coverage was statistically related to child and respondent ages (p < 0.01), good levels of education (p < 0.01), knowledge of the benefits of SMC (p < 0.01), and the types of strategies adopted (p < 0.01). Most (98.32%) mothers/caregivers adhered to SMC, with an acceptability level of 94.79%. Conclusion: SMC is a strategy accepted by the population, and the main reasons for non-participation in SMC were dominated by the absence of mothers or babysitters when the agents visited.

Malaria is one of the major causes of childhood death in sub-Saharan countries. A reliable estimation of malaria prevalence is important to guide and monitor progress toward control and elimination. The aim of the study was to estimate the true prevalence of malaria in children under five in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda and Kenya, using a Bayesian modelling framework that combined in a novel way malaria data from national household surveys with external information about the sensitivity and specificity of the malaria diagnostic methods used in those surveys-i.e., rapid diagnostic tests and light microscopy. Data were used from the Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and Malaria Indicator Surveys (MIS) conducted in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DHS 2013-2014), Uganda (MIS 2014-2015) and Kenya (MIS 2015), where information on infection status using rapid diagnostic tests and/or light microscopy was available for 13,573 children. True prevalence was estimated u...

Tujuan penelitian mengetahui tempat perindukan larva Anopheles di Kelurahan Kemelak serta mengetahui faktor yang mempengaruhi seperti suhu air, sinar matahari, kadar garam, luas habitat, pH air, jarak dari pemukiman warga, ikan pemakan larva dan jenis tumbuhan. Penelitian ini menggunakan desain Cross Sectionalyaitu pengumpulan data penelitian dilakukan dalam waktu yang sama. Tempat perindukan yang ditemukan larva Anophelesyaitu rawa 2 dengan kepadatan larva 70, rawa 7 kepadatan larva 30, kolam 2 kepadatan larva 100 dan kolam 6kepadatan larva 110 serta faktor yang mempengaruhi yaitu suhu air rata-rata 29-30 o C, paparan sinar matahari tidak langsung, salinitas 0‰, luas habitat 21-2400 m 2, pHair 6, jarak dari pemukiman warga 7-30 meter, dominan ada ikan pemakan larva, jenis tumbuhan yaitu kangkung dan rumput.

Malaria disease is the number one cause of death all over the Sub-Sahara world. Data mining can help extract valuable knowledge from available data in the healthcare sector. This allows training a patient health prediction model faster than in a clinical trial. Various implementation of machine learning algorithms such as Bayesian Theorem, Logistic Regression, K-Nearest Neighbor, Support Vector Machine and Multinomial Naïve Bayes (MNB), etc. have been applied on Public Hospital Malaria Disease datasets but there has been a limit to modeling using Multinomial Naïve Bayes Algorithm. This research applied MNB modeling to discover the relationship between 15 relevant attributes of the Public Hospitals data collected from Bwari General Hospital in Bwari Area Council and Maitama Hospital in Abuja Municipal Area Council, Abuja, FCT, and Nigeria. The goal is to examine how dependencies between attributes affect the performance of the classifier. The MNB produces a reliable and transparent graphical representation between the attributes with the ability to predict new scenarios. The model has an accuracy of 97%. It was concluded that the model outperformed the GNB classifier which has an accuracy of 100% and RF which also has an accuracy of 100%.

African malaria mosquitoes (Anopheles gambiae sensu stricto) transmit a malaria parasite (Plasmodium falciparum) to humans. The current control strategies for the vector have mainly focussed on synthetic products, which negatively impact the environment and human health. Given the potential use of environmentally friendly plant-derived volatiles as a control, this work aims to examine and compare the repellency potential of essential oils and headspace volatiles from Ocimum gratissimum, Ocimum tenuiflorum, and Ocimum basilicum and their chemical compositions. The repellency potential and chemical composition of the plants were achieved by using the protected arm-in-cage method and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis. Among the three Ocimum species, both the essential oils and the headspace volatiles from O. tenuiflorum achieved the longest repellency time lengths of 90–120 minutes. One hundred and one (101) chemical constituents were identified in the headspace vol...

This paper seeks to explore the significance and impact of malaria on Kenya's economic growth. This will help to understand the impact that malaria has or have had on household economic status especially for the vulnerable population in Kenya and how it has been unfolding slowly over time. This will also seek to understand the coping strategies adopted by the said population and the negative implications that have influenced these household's abilities to withstand malaria and other eventualities that may happen in the future. The risk and burden of malaria on vulnerable population together with its economic effects have been presented. Search engines such as Google Scholar and PubMed as well as related economics and medical journals were instrumental for this study. To protect the poor and vulnerable population against these adverse effects of malaria and from malaria itself, there is a great need to draft and enact policies that will be able control the effects as well as integration development and poverty reduction programs. The future work and focus for government and all stakeholders should be to focus more energy and work on achievable health services that will eliminate the burden of health especially malaria and its effects on Kenyan economic activities undertaken by the vulnerable population and to address the burden and risk of malaria on the productive under privileged within their environment, as well as study the epidemiological and socioeconomic geographical dissimilarities of the vulnerable population and the normal population.

Employing malaria operational research (MOR) findings in planning national malaria control programmes is gaining increased attention. The malaria control foci are diverse, resources are limited; therefore, agreeing on priority areas is critical. Hitherto, the process of prioritising MOR questions in Nigeria has been limited to few stakeholders. In support of the National Malaria Elimination Programme&#39;s (NMEP) effort at setting a MOR agenda, the Nigeria Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Programme (NFELTP) in collaboration with NMEP conducted preliminary exploratory study to identify key malaria research gaps and needs, and provide data to inform setting a robust national MOR agenda. The process of generating data is presented in this paper. A twelve-member task-team comprising NFELTP, university researchers and NMEP officers was commissioned. Following an inaugural meeting the task-team developed a framework of activities and held five planning meetings, conducted five-w...

The international trade in night monkeys (Aotus spp.), found throughout Central and South America, has been regulated by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) since 1975. We present a quantitative analysis of this trade from all 9 range countries, over 4 decades, and compare domestic legislation to CITES regulations. Night monkeys were exported from 8 of the 9 habitat countries, totalling 5,968 live individuals and 7,098 specimens, with trade of live individuals declining over time. In terms of species, the most commonly traded was Aotus nancymaae (present in Brazil, Colombia, Peru) followed by A. vociferans (Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru) and A. zonalis (Colombia, Panama). There was no significant correlation between levels of trade and species&#39; geographic range size or the number of countries in which a species occurs. Five countries have legislation that meets CITES requirements for implementation, whereas the other 4 co...

Malaria is a fatal insect-borne tropical disease that continues to pose public health challenges in Nigeria. This study was carried out to assess the prevalence of malaria infection among persons seeking treatment from private sector drug outlets and Proprietary and Patent Medicine Vendors (PVMs). Rapid diagnostic tests and microscopy were carried out to examine the blood samples collected from the study subjects. A total of 1,300 subjects of varying ages that came to seek for malaria treatment were randomly selected for the study after their free consent had been obtained. Finger prick and venous methods were used to collect blood for the rapid diagnostic test and microscopy. The results of this study revealed that of the total of 700 blood samples analyzed for Males, 402 (57.43%) were positive for microscopy and 396 (56.57%) were positive for RDT. While for females, the result showed that of the 600 blood samples screened, 304 (50.67%) were positive for microscopy and 288 (48.0%) ...

Malaria continues to be a public health challenge in Ghana, especially among children under five years. World Health Organization recommends 80% usage of insecticide treated nets as it is one of the most effectiveness means of preventing malaria. However, usage of insecticide treated nets is only 47% among this vulnerable group in Ghana, which is below the recommended rate. This in-depth review aims to explore factors contributing to low net utilization among underfives in Ghana and analyze interventions that have improved utilization in countries of similar context and discuss their applicability in Ghana. This review was based on secondary data. Using a conceptual framework, factors leading to low net usage among under-fives and interventions that have proved to increase usage in other countries were obtained from databases such as Global Health, Medline, PubMed and Web of Science and websites of organisations such as Ministry of Health, Ghana Health Service, Ministry of Education and World Health Organization. A feasibility assessment tool was applied in analysing each intervention identified and appraised based on their feasibility in Ghana. Increasing age of a child, lack of mechanisms for monitoring net usage at home, large family size, negative perception and attitude towards its usage and lack of education on its correct usage emerged as factors contributing to low net usage among children under five in Ghana. Having analysed these factors, in addition to feasible interventions in addressing low usage, malaria stakeholders in Ghana need to evaluate these interventions to assess how appropriate and applicable they are in Ghana to increase net usage among under-fives.

Despite 66 percent reduction in mortality between 2000 and 2015, malaria remains a major global public health problem, affecting mostly Sub-Saharan Africa. Cameroon remains endemic to malaria, with about 41 percent suffering at least one episode of malaria, annual overall mortality of 30 to 35 percent and 67 percent childhood mortality. Cameroon government's subsidy on artemisinin combination therapy (ACT) for uncomplicated malaria, intermittent preventive treatment for pregnant women (IPTp), free distribution of insecticide treated bed nets (ITNs) to pregnant women and under-fives have been more of a top-down approach, with the affected communities mainly at the receiving end. Challenges of failed adherence to test results, drug and insecticide resistance, substandard and self-medication, low ITN ownership and utilisation have been identified, especially in the rural areas. This study reviews malaria prevention in Cameroon and proposes community based context-specific complementary interventions strategies that will promote community participation in prevention and mitigate the effects of poverty towards achievement of the sustainable development goals targets for malaria. The study involved an in-depth review of secondary data from electronic and non-electronic documents. Electronic search was done in Global Health, PubMed, governmental and non-governmental organisation websites, journals and google scholar. Non-electronic documents from the University of Leeds and World Health Organisation (WHO), Geneva libraries were also used. A conceptual framework on integrated community-based approach on intervention to prevent neglected tropical diseases and infectious diseases of poverty was adapted and used, while different intervention strategies were analysed. A total of 96 publications were eligible for inclusion. Analysis of the factors influencing malaria prevention in Cameroon, reveals that current measures alone are insufficient. Therefore, a combination of multiple delivery strategies using an integrated community-based approach is likely to be more effective in breaking the transmission cycle than single programme interventions. Concurrent implementation of community mobilisation through social groups and Village Development Committees, education on house screening, training of mothers and caregivers and health promotion through environmental management were recommended as the best and most feasible strategies to complement current interventions in Cameroon.

Malaria is a major threat to lives in developing countries, especially in Africa. A lot of measures have been tried to curb the increased mortality and morbidity associated with malaria. A lot of resources have been channeled to control the devastating effects of malaria in these parts of the world. The aim of this paper is to discuss home-based care practices on prevention of malaria in children under 5 years. By cutting back on bushes and upholding good hygiene and sanitation, malaria in young children can be prevented in homes. This lessens disease and transmission while also assisting in death prevention and disease reduction. In Africa, Uganda is the third most affected country by malaria, which is a major cause of high morbidity and mortality in young children and pregnant women. This has forced the Government of Uganda and implementing partners, including the Global Fund and the Roll Back Malaria initiative, to redouble efforts to increase the use of insecticide-treated mosquito nets. Effective use of insecticide-treated bed nets is necessary to eliminate the above serious sequelae in children under 5 years old. Households and especially caregivers apply the use of impregnated mosquito nets and cleaning of surrounding bushes. According to research results, the use of indoor residual spray nets and insecticide-impregnated nets has significantly contributed to the prevention of malaria in children.