Malaria & artemissa

Historically, however, local communities in tropical regions have used local flora as a means of preventing and treating malaria (Kirby, 1997). It can be argued that these traditional medicines, based on the use of whole plants with multiple ingredients or of complex mixtures of plant materials, constitute combination therapies that may well combat the development of resistance to antimalarial therapy.

It is estimated that the global prevalence of malaria infection is 300 – 500 million cases annually. Sub-Saharan Africa alone accounts for 90% of cases (Butler, 1997).

The poorest countries thus bear the greatest burden of morbidity and mortality from this disease.

We had the opportunity to discuss at length with him the discovery of Artemisinin. This happened in November 1998 in the town of You Yang, high up in the remote mountains of the Chongqing province. In that period we were the proprietors of ¡°Wulingshan¡± (White Mountain), the first factory to manufacture Artemisinin in China.

Utilization of traditional medicine is widespread in developing countries and the efficacy of many traditional treatments have been well documented, including in skin disease, malaria and other disorders.

The human and financial cost burden falls heavily on rural communities and the poorest members of these. In malarious areas, where adults experience 1–2 attacks per year, and children 1–7 attacks (Brinkmann & Brinkmann, 1991), people with uncomplicated malaria are incapacitated for an average of 3.5 days (5 days in children). This in turn takes up the time of other family members who must look after them, resulting in further loss of household income. In Sri Lanka, it has been found that the average loss of earnings was over 16 wage days per year. Some households spend over 10% of their annual net income with each episode of malaria (Konradsen et al., 1997). This can result in people having to borrow money or labour to look after their farms, and pay the direct costs of remedies or drugs, transport to the clinic, and private treatment. In Africa, the cost has been estimated at 21 days of output per case, or 1% of GDP in 1995 (Shepard et al.,

Some topics in this essay:
Sri Lanka, , Madagascar Kirby, Brinkmann Brinkmann, Sub-Saharan Africa, Institute Shandon, Artemether Artesunate, Artemisia Annua, et al, DISCOVERED ARTEMISININ, White Mountain, traditional medicine, kirby 1997, artemisia annua, brinkmann brinkmann 1991, disease malaria, artemisinin drugs, anti-parasitic activity, process extraction, means preventing, et al 1997, shandon province,