The Malaria Podcast

Olivia Ndubuisi
  • 5.0 (4)
  • Medicine
  • Updated Weekly

Once, if you had malaria, you took Chloroquine for it. Then that stopped working. Today, replacement drugs are starting to fail. For the future, scientists want to genetically modify mosquitoes to stop malaria transmission. Will it really work? The Malaria Podcast is a three part series on the past, present and future of one of the world's oldest diseases - Malaria. It goes from New York City to Boston to Lagos and Kampala, hearing about malaria from those who suffer it and chasing those racing to get ahead of it

Episodes

  1. May 9

    (The Future) Science Fiction

    It sounds like something you read in a Dean Koontz novel, but in Entebbe, Uganda, scientists like Krystal Byrungi are able to genetically modify the genes of the malaria causing mosquito. They are able to do this because they say that if the population of the malaria causing mosquito can be drastically reduced, the transmission of the disease can be reduced too. A drug to treat Malaria (Chloroquine) has failed in the past. The replacement (ACT) is facing a partial resistance in the present. For the future, scientists want to challenge the transmission of the disease in the first place. In this series finale of The Malaria podcast, host Olivia Ndubuisi finds out what scientists say and what ordinary people think about new ways of getting rid of one of the world's oldest diseases. ** The Malaria Podcast was reported, written and presented by Olivia Ndubuisi (oon2101@columbia.edu).  The editor was Alison Mcadam.  Mixing and Sound design by Jamal Roberts. Art work by Ibukun Shobola. Additional production in Entebbe by Jimmy Luyima Theme music by Premiumbeat via Envato Elements. Production support in Entebbe by Blanshe Musinguzi    Thank you to Jane Onyinye Ukwajiunor for her help with this episode.   The Malaria Podcast was made with funding from the Joan Konner Journalism of Ideas Fellowship.   ** Links/Attachments Dr Michael Adekunle Charles, Chief Executive Officer, RBM Partnership to End Malaria https://endmalaria.org/team-member/dr-michael-adekunle-charles Krystal Birungi, Entomologist at Uganda Virus Research Institute on the Target Malaria project https://targetmalaria.org/profiles/spokespeople/krystal-mwesiga-birungi/

  2. May 2

    (The Present) How Do You Solve a Problem Like Malaria?

    In Boston, a fourth year PhD candidate at Harvard University in a race to make a drug the malaria parasite can't resist. Important, as resistance is historically a nagging issue with malaria treatments. In Osun state, Nigeria, a post doctoral researcher mapping the parasite's genome to find out why in one region malaria drugs work, in another, they don't. In Entebbe, Uganda, an entomologist studying mosquito behavior who knows exactly why insecticides are losing their effectiveness. In the second episode of The Malaria Podcast, Host Olivia Ndubuisi sits with those actively trying to solve the malaria problem. Is it working? ** The Malaria Podcast was reported, written and presented by Olivia Ndubuisi (oon2101@columbia.edu) The editor was Alison Mcadams.  Mixing and Sound design by Jamal Roberts Art work by Ibukun Shobola. Additional production in Entebbe by Jimmy Luyima Theme music by PremiumBeat via Envato Elements Production support in Entebbe by Blanshe Musinguzi    Thank you to Chinedum Eluwa, Camille Aneke and Annika Mcginnis for their help with this episode.   The Malaria Podcast was made with funding from the Joan Konner Journalism of Ideas Fellowship. ** Links/Attachments Frank Obeng Addae, PhD candidate in Biological Sciences in Public Health at Harvard Chan School. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvVqzILq1jk https://hsph.harvard.edu/research/duraisingh-lab/team-members/ Dr. Vera Mitesser, Research Scientist Institute for Genomics and Global Health Nigeria. https://www.linkedin.com/in/vera-mitesser-a1403119b/?isSelfProfile=false Frank Lukindu, Molecular Biologist Scientist https://www.linkedin.com/in/martin-lukindu-msc-ph-d-74583441/?isSelfProfile=false

  3. Apr 25

    (The Past) Chloroquine

    In the first episode of The Malaria Podcast, host Olivia Ndubuisi traces the rise and fall of arguably the most important drug in the history of malaria treatment: Chloroquine. Hear from the scientists who understand what happened, to regular people who have concerns about the drug that replaced it. Adaugo Adebimpe, who had malaria four times in a nine-month pregnancy. Katelem Ogbulijah, whose own comes with hallucinations and Osato Edokpayi, who felt so much like he'd die the last time he had it, that he sent his best friend his personal details in case he did. Discover in the middle of all these, a parasite determined to resist past and present efforts to eliminate it. ** The Malaria Podcast was reported, written and presented by Olivia Ndubuisi (oon2101@columbia.edu).  The editor was Alison Mcadam.  Mixing and Sound design by Jamal Roberts Art work by Ibukun Shobola. Additional production in Lagos by Chika Agu Theme music by Premiumbeat via Envato Elements Thank you to Farida Brimmo and Bralade Koroye Emenanjo for their help with this episode. The Malaria Podcast was made with funding from the Joan Konner Journalism of Ideas Fellowship. ** Links/Attachments: Professor Christian Happi Adjunct Professor of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health https://hsph.harvard.edu/profile/christian-tientcha-happi/ Director, Institute of Genomics and Public Health, Redeemers University, Ede, Osun state, Nigeria. https://ighresearch.org/en/  Kayode Adeyemi Tolulope Infectious disease molecular epidemiologist at James Madison University https://www.jmu.edu/biology/people/current-people/faculty/faculty-kayode.shtml Osato Edokpayi https://www.instagram.com/satoedk/ Katelem Ogbulijah http://www.youtube.com/@katelemx Adaugo Uzoma https://www.instagram.com/the_falconx/

  4. Apr 23

    Introducing...The Malaria Podcast

    From Lagos to Kampala, and Columbia University to Harvard, how do we bring the people who get malaria regularly together with those racing to eliminate it?    Listen to The Malaria Podcast on a journey through the past, present, and future of efforts to rid the world of one of its oldest diseases.    Three episodes, with the first premiering on this year's World Malaria Day, April 25th.

  • 4 Episodes

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
4 Ratings

About

Once, if you had malaria, you took Chloroquine for it. Then that stopped working. Today, replacement drugs are starting to fail. For the future, scientists want to genetically modify mosquitoes to stop malaria transmission. Will it really work? The Malaria Podcast is a three part series on the past, present and future of one of the world's oldest diseases - Malaria. It goes from New York City to Boston to Lagos and Kampala, hearing about malaria from those who suffer it and chasing those racing to get ahead of it

Information

  • Creator
    Olivia Ndubuisi
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    4
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Olivia Ndubuisi
  • Show Website
    The Malaria Podcast