theLUNE.org

What is Malaria?
Malaria is an infectious disease that is considered a major public health threat, particularly in Africa, because it is one of the leading causes death and illness among children and other vulnerable populations. One million children die each year from malaria in Sub-Saharan Africa. This disease also has negative social and economic consequences on affected populations - it is one of the causes of poverty.

How is Malaria Transmitted?
The mosquito is considered the main malarial vector in Africa, which transmits the parasite that is responsible for the disease to humans. Mosquitoes have the capacity for long-term survival, which is how the malarial parasite develops and is later transmitted to humans when mosquitoes bite them. Once the parasite is transmitted to humans, it reproduces in the liver and spreads to the rest of the body through the red blood cells causing illness.

So What Does Global Warming Have to Do With it?
Recent changes in the environment and the global climate are a direct and indirect result of human development and globalization. Global warming is one of the major factors that have led to increased temperatures and subsequent increase in malarial outbreaks. Temperature is considered a key factor in malaria transmission because higher temperatures mean faster parasite development. Mathematical models have illustrated how climate (such as humidity, temperature, and rainfall) affects the reproduction rate of the disease because it increases mosquito survival time and reduces the incubation time of parasites. Excessive rainfall encourages the development of parasites by increasing humidity, potential breeding sites, and the lifespan of mosquitoes.

Did you know? The most affected areas in countries such as Africa and South America are located near the equator line and generally have climates that are conducive to mosquito development.

http://www.cdc.gov/malaria/distribution_epi/distribution.htm

Factors that contribute to global warming and El-Nino cycles include human activities that have led to changes in the ecology of the land, such as:

What Can Be Done?
Vector control strategies that effectively reduce mosquito to human contact and mosquito survival time can reduce the risk for malaria outbreaks and include the following:

Other measures include increased surveillance of affected areas and effective case management of affected populations and research on drug and vaccine development. Unfortunately, this disease often does not receive top priority for funding from countries that have eradicated this disease years ago. So please consider donating to this cause to help increase access to preventive resources (see resources below).

We also have to be conscious about the our actions and the impact that they have on the global climate. Ultimately, increased temperatures, even by one degree, have a negative impact on global health, particularly on poorer countries.

What’s Being Done to Eradicate Malaria?
In the past, pharmaceutical companies didn’t pursue development of a malaria drugs and vaccines because they felt that they wouldn’t bring in enough profits. Fortunately, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation provides funding and grants to support malaria programs and malaria drug and vaccine development. One such program is the PATH Malaria Vaccine Initiative that is attempting to develop the first malaria vaccine. This would mean that rates of malaria could significantly be reduced, leading to healthier populations that could pave the road towards their country’s economic development.

For far too long, malaria has been a forgotten epidemic. If we expand malaria control programs and invest in research, we can stop this tragedy.

-Bill Gates

Malaria Resources:

I’m sure you’ve noticed the new Cialis commercials as of late - an erectile dysfunction drug that has been popular in the last few years, but now reforumlated so that you can take it EVERY DAY! This marketing tactic now makes the pill a normal part of a man’s every day routine, rather than something that is taken once in a while. This will definitely drive profits up for Eli Lilly, who has spent $151,649,663 to advertise Cialis and raked in $453,233,000 in 2007 alone.

The United States is the only modernized nation that allows pharmaceutical companies to advertise on television. So your kids could be watching cartoons at home after school and subjected to ad upon ad trying to sell them drugs for about every kind of discomfort the pharma marketers can come up with.

What is sad is that these companies focus more of their efforts on marketing lifestyle drugs for chronic diseases because they specifically want upper-middle class consumers to pay lots of money to relieve discomforts on as regular a basis as possible in order to bring in the most profits. They are the primary audience to market the next blockbuster drug to. 10 years ago, erectile dysfunction didn’t really even exists as a “disease” - it’s the child of good marketing strategy. In reality, ED is a very preventable condition that can be cured by simply getting off the couch and exercising, eating right and not smoking. But that would require effort.

Wouldn’t it be great to invest those millions on ads that taught our kids the importance of exercise, of NOT smoking and how to avoid junk food? Not only would they never have to shell out extra money for more lifestyle pills, they would also avoid the health care costs of things like heart disease and diabetes. Oh wait, but then the medical, pharmaceutical and insurances industries can’t make any money if we’re not sick. Hmm…

Oh, wait, but one organization HAS tried to make such an ad. And guess what, our major networks did not want to air it. Yes, advertising to people about what NOT to consume is also censored in the United States. But that will be another post. In the meantime, you can watch this:

To follow up on “Our Daily Meds”, my brother sent me a link to a recent interview on NPR of former Zyprexa Drug Representative Shahram Ahari. From The Story.org:

Shahram Ahari believes that the relationship between pharmaceutical companies and doctors can compromise the health of patients. Shahram knows what he’s talking about: he was a drug rep with Eli Lilly, where he learned how to entice doctors with gifts, slanted statistics, and psychological profiles. He even earned the nickname “safe cracker” for getting into the offices of doctors who avoided sales people like him.

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