Page 9 - aruba-today-20190824

A9
WORLD NEWS Saturday 24 auguSt 2019

UN: Possible to eradicate malaria, but probably not soon

By MARIA CHENG about whether malaria
AP Medical Writer programs would be able
LONDON (AP) — The World to raise the billions need-
Health Organization says ed given other competing
it’s theoretically possible to eradication campaigns,
wipe out malaria, but prob- like those for polio, guinea
ably not with the imperfect worm and lymphatic filaria-
vaccine and other control sis.
methods being used at the “Should we really be push-
moment. ing for malaria or should
Dr. Pedro Alonso, the U.N. we concentrate on getting
health agency’s global some of those other diseas-
malaria director, said WHO es out of the way first?” he
is “unequivocally in favor” asked.
of eradication, but that Other experts agreed that
major questions about its eradicating malaria in the
feasibility remain. In a press coming years seems aspi-
briefing on Thursday, Alonso rational.
acknowledged that “with “It’s a long game and there
the tools we have today, it will be many bumps on the
is most unlikely eradication road,” said Sian Clarke, co-
will be achieved.” director of the malaria cen-
Alonso was presenting the ter at the London School of
results of a WHO-commis- In this Oct. 30, 2009 file photo, a mother holds her baby receiving a new malaria vaccine as part Hygiene and Tropical Med-
sioned report evaluating if of a trial at the Walter Reed Project Research Center in Kombewa in Western Kenya. icine. Still, Clarke said that
eradicating malaria should Associated Press eradication might only be
be pursued. He said the ex- later. For decades, health lions of invested dollars, ef- “An effective vaccine is achieved if there is a sense
perts concluded lingering officials were chastened forts have stalled in recent something we desperately of urgency, given how ma-
uncertainties meant they from even discussing eradi- years and officials have re- need if we’re ever going to laria spreads; the parasitic
were unable to formulate cation — until the Bill and peatedly missed eradica- get malaria under control disease is transmitted to
a clear strategy and thus, Melinda Gates Foundation tion targets. and we just don’t have it,” people by mosquitoes.
couldn’t propose a de- threw its considerable re- Although several African said Alister Craig, dean of “The longer it takes, the
finitive timeline or cost esti- sources behind the idea. countries began immuniz- biological sciences at the more opportunity there is
mate for eradication. Smallpox is the only hu- ing children against malar- Liverpool School of Tropical for the parasite to evolve,”
WHO has long grappled man disease to ever have ia in national programs this Medicine. she said. “There will be a lot
with the idea of erasing been eradicated. In 1988, year, the shot only protects A previous trial showed the of pressure on the parasite
malaria from the planet. WHO and partners began about one third of children vaccine was about 30% ef- to evolve a mechanism
An eradication campaign a global campaign that who get it. The parasitic fective in children who got of survival, so this is some-
was first attempted in 1955 aimed to wipe out polio disease kills about 435,000 four doses, but that protec- thing that if it’s to be done,
before being abandoned by 2000. Despite numerous people every year, mostly tion waned over time. should be done relatively
more than a dozen years effective vaccines and bil- children in Africa. Craig also raised concerns quickly.”q

As Malta disembarks migrants more charity-govt clashes loom

By ARITZ PARRA manager of Doctors With- of the country’s ports to aid
Associated Press out Borders on board the groups.
MADRID (AP) — Malta Ocean Viking, welcomed Salvini and other Europe-
agreed Friday to disembark Malta’s decision but ques- ans blame the charities for
356 migrants who were tioned why it took so long, aiding human trafficking
trapped for two weeks on and called for permanent mafias that operate off
a rescue ship in the central European solutions to tak- the Libyan coast. Activists
Mediterranean, capping a ing in rescued migrants. and volunteers have been
week of standoffs between “We are relieved that the probed or prosecuted,
charities and governments long ordeal for the 356 peo- while some governments
that have exposed in dra- ple on board with us is fi- have imposed administra-
matic ways Europe’s inabil- nally over, but was it neces- tive obstacles to their ships.
ity to deal with migration sary to keep them waiting The Spanish government of
from Africa. for two weeks of torment?” Pedro Sánchez, a Socialist,
The Maltese armed forc- Berger said in a statement. has threatened hefty fines
es will be taking ashore “This is about people who if the Open Arms aid group
the passengers from the Rescued migrants sleep on the Ocean Viking, operated by SOS have fled desperate con- actively conducts search
Ocean Viking before they Mediterranee and MSF, as they cruise in the Mediterranean Sea, ditions in their homelands and rescue missions with-
are distributed to France, in the early hours of Friday, Aug. 23, 2019. and have survived the hor- out being asked to do so.
Germany, Ireland, Luxem- Associated Press rific violence in Libya.” NGOs and activists say
bourg, Portugal and Ro- military vessels would hap- the two charities running Their ordeal is the latest in they are being demonized,
mania, the prime minister pen in international waters the Norwegian-flagged a campaign against sea mostly by populist and far-
of Malta, Joseph Muscat, and the charity boat wasn’t ship, had said that requests rescues that has disrupted right politicians hungry for
announced on Friday in a allowed to directly take the for docking had been pre- the operations of at least votes. They say they are fill-
series of tweets. migrants to the port. viously denied by Malta 19 ships since Italy’s hard- ing a vacuum created by
It was not immediately SOS Mediterranee and and ignored by Italy. line Interior Minister Matteo the inaction of the EU and
clear why the transfer to Doctors Without Borders, Jay Berger, the operations Salvini ordered the closure its member states. q