Speaking of malaria MMV

The COVID-19 pandemic has disturbed many aspects of our lives. Entire societies and their health systems have struggled to adapt to this new challenge. Medicine for Malaria Venture works to prevent and cure malaria in endemic countries. This past year the organization has had to address the threat of two deadly diseases: malaria and COVID-19. The CEO, David Reddy takes us behind the scenes to share his lessons learnt and the challenges that still lie ahead.

Malaria is a disease whose main victims are children. In The Gambia, the four months of the rainy season are also the peak period for malaria. Children need to take preventive medicine to be protected against the malaria parasite during this time. Olimatou is a health worker who organizes these prevention campaigns - with an added difficulty since 2020: the Covid-19 pandemic.

Eileen is a nurse in Ghana where malaria causes more than 3% of maternal deaths each year. Her job puts her in contact with malaria patients. She understands their symptoms and knows they can be fatal. So when she got sick during her pregnancy she imagined the worst.

At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, modeling analyses predicted that the spread of this new disease would lead to an increase in malaria deaths. COVID-19 would burden health systems, prevent proper access to medicines and disturb prevention campaigns. More than a year later, where do we stand? Pedro Alonso, the director of the World Health Organization’s Global Malaria Programme, reflects on this crisis and shares his hopes for the future of science and health.

Pregnant women are particularly sensitive to malaria. Despite this known fact, there is a shortage of effective treatments. Today we discuss the potential for new treatment options for malaria in pregnancy with Maud Majeres Lugand and Myriam El Gaaloul, the two co-leads of MMV's malaria in pregnancy programme.

Pregnant women are more likely to catch diseases such as malaria and they are less likely to receive appropriate treatment. Dr Hellen Barsosio, a Kenyan researcher and medical doctor tells us more about this inequality at the heart of medical research.