Malaria

Health & Safety

WHO greenlights the world's first malaria vaccine — but it's not a perfect shot

7:56pm October 06, 2021

by Jason Beaubien

It's also the first vaccine against a parasitic disease in humans. But there are issues to consider, from its rate of effectiveness to the dosage schedule.

Dr. Raj Panjabi, the newly named head of the President's Malaria Initiative, treating patients during a visit to Liberia, where he was born and lived until 1990. He'll lead the effort to prevent and treat malaria around the world. Each year, some 400,000

New U.S. Malaria Czar: Why We Should Care About The Disease, Even In A Pandemic

5:51pm March 04, 2021

by Marc Silver

Did you even know the U.S. has a malaria czar? Who himself had malaria as a kid? We interview Dr. Raj Panjabi, newly appointed by President Joe Biden.

Graph showing shifts in death rate by cause.

Global Causes Of Death: Significant Shifts From 2000 To 2019

1:58pm December 11, 2020

by Jason Beaubien

The No. 1 and 2 causes of death remain the same, but there have been a number of notable changes. And now there's a new disease to assess on the global landscape: COVID-19.

Malaria Consortium providing antimalarial pills in Burkina Faso.

Optimizing Your Pandemic Charity

6:58am May 05, 2020

by Darian Woods

Running the numbers on giving in the time of coronavirus

Transmission electron micrograph of particles of SARS-CoV-2 — the coronavirus that causes COVID-19.

Why Hoarding Of Hydroxychloroquine Needs To Stop

8:47pm March 23, 2020

by Martha Bebinger

Despite Trump's public remarks, infectious disease experts say it's premature to think hydroxychloroquine will help against COVID-19. And patients with lupus or rheumatoid arthritis rely on the drug.

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It could be that malaria-carrying parasites are rendered less potent by minestrone.

Soupy Study: Minestrone Could Be A Secret Weapon Against Malaria

7:00am December 08, 2019

by Vicky Hallett

It all started when a London primary school asked children to bring in a plastic tube containing approximately one tablespoon of homemade soup.

A blood transfusion bag hangs in an operating room in a hospital in the Republic of Congo. Most countries in sub-Saharan Africa have a huge gap between blood supply and demand, new research found.

Hospitals Around The World Have A Dire Shortage Of Blood

4:13pm October 22, 2019

by Tim McDonnell

The first global analysis of blood supply and demand finds that many developing countries are relying on risky emergency donations.

Scientists use a microscope to see if the genetic modification is spreading. Immature modified mosquitoes glow red with yellow eyes when illuminated with a laser.

VIDEO: See A Controversial Swarm Of Genetically Modified Mosquitoes In A Lab In Italy

11:14am October 20, 2019

by Rob Stein

NPR was the only news organization allowed into the lab to witness the moment the releases began this year. The goal is to create a powerful new weapon in the fight against malaria.

In 2012, this mother carried her 5-year-old son to a malaria clinic in Thailand from Myanmar. Two new studies find that multidrug-resistant parasites are rendering front-line malaria drugs ineffective in Southeast Asia.

Health & Safety

Study: Malaria Drugs Are Failing At An 'Alarming' Rate In Southeast Asia

11:42pm July 22, 2019

by Jason Beaubien

Mutant parasites have built up resistance to first-line malaria drugs, according to two new studies in The Lancet. Scientists worry that this could overturn global progress against the disease.

World's First Malaria Vaccine Launches In Sub-Saharan Africa

11:05pm April 23, 2019

by Michaeleen Doucleff

It took more than 30 years to develop. The hope is it will eventually save tens of thousands of lives each year. But there are a few issues.

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