Common experiences provide platform for effective control of vivax malaria

6 May 2009

Bobby Ramakant

Source: Citizens News Service

Comments

Representatives from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, India, Indonesia, Republic of Korea and Sri Lanka met last month in New Delhi (on the occasion of World Malaria Day) to share their common experiences in the control of vivax malaria in WHO’s Southeast Asia and Western Pacific regions. The current vivax malaria situation in Asia and the progress of work in capacity development were reviewed, as well as ways to establish effective monitoring and evaluation of control programmes.

“Malaria in Asia is different from malaria in Africa”, said Dr Samlee Plianbangchang, Regional Director of the WHO South-East Asia Region. “Vivax malaria is less known and we need to understand more its epidemiology and control interventions. Malaria control is a complex issue in Asia and is particularly sensitive to environmental changes.”

Dr Plianbangchang continued: “These countries bring to the table a wealth of experience in controlling the vivax malaria. We are confident that pertinent experience and lessons have been shared in an effort to control the spread of vivax malaria, especially along the border of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and the Republic of Korea”.

Patients infected by Plasmodium vivax suffer from frequent relapses within one to three years after a single inoculation of parasites from mosquito bites. Though vivax malaria is not usually fatal and the parasites usually cause mild symptoms, compared with the more serious Plasmodium falciparum that is most prevalent in Africa, recent evidence from Papua New Guinea, Indonesia and India (see TropIKA.net article) indicates that vivax malaria occasionally causes more severe manifestations and even death.