International Conference On Malaria - 'Laveran To Genomics'

International conference on malaria was held to mark the 125 years of discovery of Malarial parasite in Algeria on November 6th 1880 by Charles Louis Alphones Laveran for which he was awarded the Noble Prize in 1907. The inauguration meeting was attended by various scientists, Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss, Minister of state Health and Family Welfare Panabaka Lakshmi and other delegates. The theme of the international conference is “Laveran to Genomics” and it will deliberate on the emerging areas in malaria research. The Conference was organized jointly by Malaria Research Centre and the National Vector Borne Disease Control Program.

Inaugurating the conference Minister of State for Health and Family welfare Panabaka Lakshmi said, “Government’s measures to combat malaria and new research strengthened the knowledge base about transmission dynamics in different eco systems”. On this special occasion it was told that the Malaria Research Centre will be renamed as National Institute of malaria.

Government is planning to introduce a new combination drug to combat malaria due to increased resistance showed by the parasites against the drug Chloroquine. The new drug combination consists of combining sulfoxide pyremethamine and artesunate. India had to deal with inaccessibility of certain areas and poor health seeking behavior in remote localities. Monitoring of insecticides and drug resistance was being done in the problem areas with the support of the Malaria Research Centre field units. India is planning to organize large vaccine clinical trials in Orissa and Madhya Pradesh. Government is giving cost-effective vector control measures, insecticide treated nets free of costs in high risk areas.

Source: The Hindu.