These days, we are listening, in Spain, to talk about the Malaria. The images are so hard and the lack of hopeness, for a solution to many deaths, makes me feel so sad with all those people, who are suffering so much, in Africa.
But…, suddenly, I have just found a news, full of hopness.The news ensure that a Spanish Doctor, Pedro Alonso, is leading a project to create the first vaccine against Malaria.
The Doctor, Pedro Alonso
The Doctor Alonso, who is the Director of the Institute for Global Health of Barcelona, has been appointed Director of the Global Malaria Programme of the World Health Organization (WHO).
Alonso, who is also Chief of the Service of International Health and Tropical Medicine, in the Hospital Clínic, and professor at the University of Barcelona, will join the WHO headquarters in Geneva, in October, according ISGlobal informed in a note.
WHO is currently developing a new strategy for the control and elimination of malaria in the next decade, and Pedro Alonso will be the person who will lead.
"With the support of numerous institutions and leadership in endemic countries, I am convinced that the world can move steadily towards the eradication of Malaria. Participate in this undertaking is an unique opportunity, so I am very grateful", Alonso has featured.
The Malaria vaccine, in which the team of ISGlobal, is working led by Pedro Alonso, among other centres, could be available in 2015. It would finish after a clinical trial, in African children, after the 2014 and obtain registration of the vaccine have to grant the European Medicines Agency (EMA).
Alonso began his career, in international health, over 25 years ago and his most relevant works have been focused on developing new tools, for the prevention and treatment of the Malaria.
In 1996, with support from the Spanish Agency for International Cooperation for Development (AECID), Pedro Alonso launched the Centre for Health Research of Manhiça (CISM), in Mozambique, which has now become one of the leading examples of success of the Spanish cooperation in health, in Sub-Saharan Africa.
The contributions of CISM, in health research, in poor countries, have a global impact, as in the case of the Malaria vaccine, and, in 2008, received the Prince of Asturias Award for International Cooperation.
In 2011, Pedro Alonso joined the Advisory Committee of the WHO, for Malaria Policy, and, that same year, he was elected to lead the Scientific Technical Committee of the Global Malaria Strategy, which is being developed at this time.
The disease, transmitted by the Anopheles mosquito, caused, in 2010, about 219 million cases of infected people and it kills about one million people, each year, worldwide, as reflected in the report about Malaria, by the WHO.
Since the 90s, scientists have sought an effective vaccine, against Malaria. In 2002, experts, from the United Kingdom and United States, deciphered the genetic map of the parasite and the mosquito disease, that transmits it, in their quest to control progress.
Now, with this new boost, in the research, I hope that they get, definitely, the vaccine, such necessary, to eliminate that such a big damage to the world population. I hope to see it very soon.
Till my next post, kind regards,
Luis.
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