2004-4-4
This is Robert Cohen with the VOA Special English Development
Report.
Malaria is a very serious disease
that kills more children under the age of five than any other
disease. People get malaria when they are bitten by tiny insects
called mosquitoes. The mosquitoes carry parasites which enter a
person's blood and cause malaria.
Carter Dibbs is an American doctor who works on the Malaria
Vaccine Development Program for the United States Agency for
International Development. Doctor Dibbs says the parasite that
causes malaria is much more complex than other organisms, such as
the virus that causes polio. He says the malaria parasite uses many
tricks so that it is more difficult to make a vaccine that is safe
and will prevent the disease.
Malaria vaccines are now being tested on adults in Burkina Faso
and Mali. Vaccines are being tested on children in Mozambique and
Mali.
Many organizations are involved in the testing. They include
U.S.A.I.D, the American military, American health organizations, and
European governments.
To make sure that a vaccine will really prevent malaria, it must
be tested on many people in many different places. Doctor Dibbs says
the people who join the vaccine tests are as important to the goal
of finding the right medicine as the scientists.
People are told about the tests during public meetings with
community leaders. Doctor Dibbs says people should ask questions
about good or bad things that could happen to their bodies if they
take the medicine that is being tested. Adults or parents of
children must agree to the vaccine test.
Adults receive a small amount of the vaccine medicine. The
children receive either the malaria vaccine or a different medicine
that protects them against a different disease.
Then health care workers observe the people to see if they show
any signs of malaria. The results of the tests must be compared to
people who have not received the vaccine.
The vaccine is successful if fifty percent of the people who
receive it do not show any signs of malaria for one year.
Then the United States government will be asked to approve the
vaccine. However, it could still take another five years before a
licensed vaccine is ready to give to all the children in Africa and
around the world.
This VOA Special English Development Report was written by Karen
Leggett. This is Robert Cohen.