Effective Malaria Control: A Biomedical Science Combined Approach

This report examines the multifaceted challenge of malaria control, emphasizing the limitations of single-method approaches and advocating for combined strategies. It begins with an introduction highlighting the global burden of malaria, particularly in resource-limited areas, and underscores the urgency for innovative interventions. The discussion section delves into the pathogenesis of malaria, detailing the life cycle of the Plasmodium parasite and the role of the Anopheles mosquito in transmission. It explores various approaches to prevent infection, including antimalarial medicines and vector management tools. The report highlights the growing issue of drug-resistant parasites and insecticide tolerance, emphasizing the need for research into new vector management strategies. The conclusion stresses the importance of integrated public health measures to prevent and manage malaria, acknowledging the evolution of control methods from empirical approaches to those informed by scientific understanding. References are provided to support the information presented.

Running head: BIOMEDICAL SCIENCE
BIOMEDICAL SCIENCE
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BIOMEDICAL SCIENCE
Introduction
Malaria is and will remain to be a burden to a number of people, particularly, who are
residing in the poorly developed or a resource limited area like in rural areas or remote villages.
With the rising prevalence of malaria affecting people all over the world, the urgency to develop
new strategies to combat malaria also emerges1. Evidences prove that unless innovative
strategies are deployed, the already existing heavy health and economic burden in the tropical
countries are going to worsen. A single approach may not be sufficient enough to control the
emergence of this disease and thus, the use of a combined or a mixed intervention strategies can
be useful to combat malaria. The major barrier to control malaria is the development of their
drug resistant strains, thus, new strategies must be employed that will prevent the emergence, the
spread resistance to the drug and interrupting the transmission of the disease causing vector1.
Thus, this paper will talk about the combined approaches to control malaria in contrast to a
single method and why multiple methods are needed to be implemented to prevent the infectious
disease.
1 Tizifa, Tinashe A., Alinune N. Kabaghe, Robert S. McCann, Henk van den Berg, Michele Van
Vugt, and Kamija S. Phiri. "Prevention efforts for malaria." Current tropical medicine reports 5,
no. 1 (2018): 41-50.

BIOMEDICAL SCIENCE
Discussion
Pathogenesis of malaria
Five single-celled eukaryotic plasmodium parasites are responsible for malaria.
particularly Plasmodium falciparum and plasmodium vivax that is usually spread by the bite of
Anopheles spp. mosquitoes. After a mosquito bites, the malarial sporoziots enter the hepatocytes
(liver cells) in which they replicate and emerge into the bloodstream as merozoites after a few
weeks. The infected liver cell ruptures by discharging the merozoites into the bloodstream2. This
is the place where they invade red blood cells and initiate the asexual reproductive stage, which
is a significant and symptomatic stage. Clinical manifestations start developing within 4-8 days
followed by the initial invasion of RBC. The replication cycle of the merozoites lasts about 26-
72 hours within the RBCs. Therefore, in this synchronous infection, fever occurs when the lysis
of the infected cells occur and those infected cells release endotoxins. Rupture of the infected
erythrocytes comprising the schizont resulting into fever and merozoite release. The
merozoitesthen enter the new red blood cells, and the whole process is repeated, causing
logarithmic upsurge in parasite burden3.
2 Mawson, Anthony R. "The pathogenesis of malaria: a new perspective." Pathogens and global
health 107, no. 3 (2013): 122-129.
3 Phillips, áM. "áA. etáal." Malaria. Nat Rev. Dis. Primers 3 (2017): 17050.

BIOMEDICAL SCIENCE
Approaches to prevent infection
Antimalaria medicines have traditionally been effective in combating malaria in tropical
countries, in conjunction with mosquito control initiatives, contributing to significant reductions
in global regional malaria. Over the years, however, the development and spread of the drug-
resistant parasites has led to the recovery of malaria4. A key focus on the global malaria
development agenda has become the need for more innovative medicines for malaria. Vector
management tools like insecticides, environmental change and bed nets have traditionally played
a major role in effectively combating malaria. Nevertheless, influences such as the growth of
insecticide tolerance have been a retrograde step in recent years. Therefore, the need to conduct
research for new vector management strategies (from humans to insects, mosquitoes to people)
to deter and reduce the population of mosquitoes, is highly appreciated5.
Conclusion
Across tropical nations, malaria public health measures are aimed at preventing and
managing the spread of the disease. Before the biology of Anopheles has been understood,
4 Autino, Beatrice, Yolanda Corbett, Francesco Castelli, and Donatella Taramelli. "Pathogenesis
of malaria in tissues and blood." Mediterranean journal of hematology and infectious diseases 4,
no. 1 (2012).
5 Gachelin, Gabriel, Paul Garner, Eliana Ferroni, Jan Peter Verhave, and Annick Opinel.
"Evidence and strategies for malaria prevention and control: a historical analysis." Malaria
journal 17, no. 1 (2018): 96.

BIOMEDICAL SCIENCE
empirical approaches for malaria management have been developed. The methods to avoid and
treat before 1890 proved successful, although it was troublesome to apply them on an extent of
large populations. In fact, the development of these early anti-malaria strategies has been not
supported much by scientific knowledge, but simply justified. After 30 years of understanding
malaria transmission, a variety of malaria prevention methods have been developed and
practiced regularly.

BIOMEDICAL SCIENCE
References
1. Tizifa, Tinashe A., Alinune N. Kabaghe, Robert S. McCann, Henk van den Berg,
Michele Van Vugt, and Kamija S. Phiri. "Prevention efforts for malaria." Current tropical
medicine reports 5, no. 1 (2018): 41-50.
2. Mawson, Anthony R. "The pathogenesis of malaria: a new perspective." Pathogens and
global health 107, no. 3 (2013): 122-129.
3. Phillips, áM. "áA. etáal." Malaria. Nat Rev. Dis. Primers 3 (2017): 17050.
4. Autino, Beatrice, Yolanda Corbett, Francesco Castelli, and Donatella Taramelli.
"Pathogenesis of malaria in tissues and blood." Mediterranean journal of hematology and
infectious diseases 4, no. 1 (2012).
5. Gachelin, Gabriel, Paul Garner, Eliana Ferroni, Jan Peter Verhave, and Annick Opinel.
"Evidence and strategies for malaria prevention and control: a historical
analysis." Malaria journal 17, no. 1 (2018): 96.

BIOMEDICAL SCIENCE