African Traditional Herbal Research Clinic Why ... - Blackherbals.com

Continued from page 36 - Africa: Researchers RecordMajor BreakthroughThe Australian team developed mutant strains of P.falciparum, each lacking one of 83 genes known orpredicted to play a role in the red cell remodelingprocess. Systematically testing each one, they were ableto show that eight proteins were involved in theproduction of the key glue-like substance.Removing just one of these proteins stopped theinfected cells from attaching themselves to the walls ofblood vessels, the report revealed.Professor Alan Cowman, a member of the researchteam at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of MedicalResearch, said targeting the protein with drugs, orpossibly a vaccine, could be key to fighting malaria."If we block the stickiness, we essentially block thevirulence or the capacity of the parasite to causedisease," he said.Malaria is preventable and curable, but can be fatal ifnot treated promptly. The disease kills more than amillion people each year. Many of the victims areyoung children in sub-Saharan Africa.Available statistics indicate that one out of every fiveNigerian children will die before their fifth birthday,with malaria alone being responsible for one quarter ofthese deaths.Malaria is said to be responsible for an estimated 30 percent of deaths among children, 11 per cent amongpregnant women and 80 per cent of diseases in reportedcases in health facilities. It is certainly the leadingcause of morbidity and mortality in the country.Records also show that 50 per cent of Nigeria'spopulation suffers from, at least, one episode of malariaattack each year. The disease accounts for over 45 percent of all outpatient visits.The Federal Government spends millions annually onawareness campaigns and provides malaria controlmeasures, which involves programmes such as the RollBack Malaria Initiative, where special insecticidetreatedbed-nets are produced and distributed to thepeople, especially nursing mothers.Various countries and international organisations suchas Japan and the World Health Organisation (WHO)are also collaborating with the country in the fightagainst her 'biggest' killer.In the country, malaria is directly or remotelyresponsible for the loss of millions of productive hours,resulting in colossal reduction in individual andcollective productivity.The Kano State Commissioner for Health, Malama AishaIshiaku, recently stated that the malaria scourge accountsfor an annual economic burden of about N132 billion inNigeria.Reports also revealed that in Africa, malaria accounts for10 per cent of the continent's disease burden as well as the$12 billion yearly lost in productivity.Globally, about 40 per cent of world population (2.4billion) is known to be at risk. An estimated 300-500million cases of malaria occur globally every year.http://allafrica.com/stories/200807150155.html☻☻☻☻☻☻HIV ‘Hides from Drugs forYears’BBCMarch 16, 2008HIV can survive the apparently effective onslaught ofantiretroviral drugs for years by hiding away in the body’scells, research shows.The US National Cancer Institute found low levels ofdormant HIV in patients seven years after they started – andresponded well to - standard therapy.The finding confirms patients must take drugs indefinitely,and that any break runs the risk of rekindling infection.The study features in Proceedings of the National Academyof sciences.People with HIV need to take treatment indefinitelybecause current drugs cannot reach this pool of dormantvirus. The researchers followed 40 patients infected withHIV for seven years.Doctors do not usually record infection levels once thenumber of HIV particles falls below 50 per milliliters ofblood.However, the NCI team used highly sensitive equipment tomeasure infection levels below this threshold. They foundthat the virus was still present at low levels in 77% of thepatients.The research suggests that although potent antiretroviraltherapy can suppress HIV infection to almost undetectablelevels, it cannot eradicate the virus.The researchers said that even though levels of the virusthat remain are low, they are high enough to rekindleinfection if treatment is interrupted.The risk of infecting others is low, but cannot be ruled out.They believe HIV may be harboured by CD-4+ cells, whichparlay a role in the immune system. Continued on page 43-42- Traditional African Clinic October 2008