Difference between revisions of "Timeline of malaria in 2015"

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This is a '''timeline of malaria in 2015'''.
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This is a '''timeline of malaria in 2015''', attempting to describe progress related to the disease throughout the year.  
  
 
== Development summary ==
 
== Development summary ==
  
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*'''Parasites''': Mutations linked to [[w:Drug resistance|resistance]] are found.
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*'''Parasites''': Mutations linked to [[w:Drug resistance|resistance]] are found.  
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*'''Vectors''':
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*'''Vectors''': Mosquitoes can be infected by multiple strains. Spider is found to hund female ''{{w|Anopheles}}''. A strain of mosquitoes capable of rapidly introducing malaria-blocking genes is created in lab. {{w|CRISPR}} technique is used to alter ''{{w|Anopheles}}'' {{w|DNA}}.
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*'''Drugs, treatment, and control methods''':
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*'''Drugs, treatment, and control methods''': Antimalarial {{w|hydroxychloroquine}} is found to reduce heart rate. Also, Parkinson's disease may be treatable with antimalarials.
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*'''Vaccine''': Malaria vaccine candidate {{w|RTS,S}} trials are conducted with promising results reported.
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*'''Vaccine''': Malaria vaccine candidate {{w|RTS,S}} trials are conducted with reported promising results.
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*'''Eradication and control progress''':
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*'''Eradication and control progress''': Report reveals that nearly 700 million cases of malaria have been prevented in Africa as a result of concerted efforts to tackle the disease since 2000. {{w|Maldives}} becomes the first malaria-free country in the South-East Asia [[w:Who regions|WHO Region]].
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*'''Vector control''': The population at risk in {{w|Sub-Saharan Africa}} sleeping under an [[w:mosquito net|insecticide-treated mosquito net]] (ITN) or protected by indoor residual spraying (IRS) 57% (up from 37% in 2010).<ref name="WORLD MALARIA REPORT 2016"/>
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*'''Vector control''': The population at risk in {{w|Sub-Saharan Africa}} sleeping under an [[w:mosquito net|insecticide-treated mosquito net]] (ITN) or protected by indoor residual spraying (IRS) reaches 57% (up from 37% in 2010).<ref name="WORLD MALARIA REPORT 2016"/>
 +
*'''Other''': {{w|Tu Youyou}} is awarded the 2015 {{w|Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine}} "for her discoveries concerning a novel therapy against Malaria".
  
 
== Key figures ==
 
== Key figures ==
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==Full timeline==
 
==Full timeline==
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| March 18 || Symptom || Scientist in {{w|Michigan}} publish research indicating devastating effects of malaria in the brain.<ref>{{cite web|title=How Malaria In The Brain Kills: Doctors Solve A Medical Mystery|url=http://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2015/03/18/393367086/how-malaria-in-the-brain-kills-doctors-solve-a-medical-mystery|website=npr.org|accessdate=13 July 2017}}</ref> || {{w|United States}}
 
| March 18 || Symptom || Scientist in {{w|Michigan}} publish research indicating devastating effects of malaria in the brain.<ref>{{cite web|title=How Malaria In The Brain Kills: Doctors Solve A Medical Mystery|url=http://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2015/03/18/393367086/how-malaria-in-the-brain-kills-doctors-solve-a-medical-mystery|website=npr.org|accessdate=13 July 2017}}</ref> || {{w|United States}}
 
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|-
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| March 19 || Symptom || Researchers describe definitively that in children infected with malaria, brain swelling crushes the {{w|brainstem}}, which is where the neural stimulus for breathing originates, causing some children to die from cerebral malaria.<ref>{{cite web|title=Why Malaria Kills Babies, and a Path to Finding New Treatments|url=http://www.newsweek.com/why-malaria-kills-babies-and-path-finding-new-treatments-314998|website=newsweek.com|accessdate=13 July 2017}}</ref> ||
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| March 19 || Symptom || Researchers describe conclusively that in children infected with malaria, brain swelling crushes the {{w|brainstem}}, which is where the neural stimulus for breathing originates, causing some children to die from cerebral malaria.<ref>{{cite web|title=Why Malaria Kills Babies, and a Path to Finding New Treatments|url=http://www.newsweek.com/why-malaria-kills-babies-and-path-finding-new-treatments-314998|website=newsweek.com|accessdate=13 July 2017}}</ref> ||
 
|-
 
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| March 25 || Parasite, Vector || Research team at {{w|Washington University School of Medicine}} in {{w|Saint Louis, Missouri}} finds that the parasite that causes malaria produces an odor which attracts mosquitoes, inviting more bites and infections.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Berman|first1=Jessica|title=Mosquitoes Attracted to Malaria Parasite in People|url=https://www.voanews.com/a/mosquitoes-attracted-to-malaria-parasite-in-people/2694127.html|website=voanews.com|accessdate=13 July 2017}}</ref> || {{w|United States}}
 
| March 25 || Parasite, Vector || Research team at {{w|Washington University School of Medicine}} in {{w|Saint Louis, Missouri}} finds that the parasite that causes malaria produces an odor which attracts mosquitoes, inviting more bites and infections.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Berman|first1=Jessica|title=Mosquitoes Attracted to Malaria Parasite in People|url=https://www.voanews.com/a/mosquitoes-attracted-to-malaria-parasite-in-people/2694127.html|website=voanews.com|accessdate=13 July 2017}}</ref> || {{w|United States}}
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| July 16 || Drug || Researchers at {{w|University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center}} and in {{w|Australia}} show that a drug currently in testing shows potential to cure malaria in a single dose and offers promise as a preventive treatment as well.<ref>{{cite web|title=New drug DSM265 shows potential to cure, prevent malaria|url=http://www.news-medical.net/news/20150716/New-drug-DSM265-shows-potential-to-cure-prevent-malaria.aspx|website=news-medical.net|accessdate=15 July 2017}}</ref> || {{w|United States}}, {{w|Australia}}
 
| July 16 || Drug || Researchers at {{w|University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center}} and in {{w|Australia}} show that a drug currently in testing shows potential to cure malaria in a single dose and offers promise as a preventive treatment as well.<ref>{{cite web|title=New drug DSM265 shows potential to cure, prevent malaria|url=http://www.news-medical.net/news/20150716/New-drug-DSM265-shows-potential-to-cure-prevent-malaria.aspx|website=news-medical.net|accessdate=15 July 2017}}</ref> || {{w|United States}}, {{w|Australia}}
 
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| July 17 || Drug || International team, including members from {{w|Nanyang Technological University}} (NTU) in {{w|Singapore}} and {{w|McLean Hospital}} and {{w|Harvard Medical School}} in {{w|Massachussets}} report that Parkinson's disease may be treatable with antimalaria drugs"<ref>{{cite web|last1=Paddock|first1=Catharine|title=Parkinson's disease may be treatable with antimalaria drugs|url=http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/296919.php|website=medicalnewstoday.com|accessdate=15 July 2017}}</ref> || {{w|Singapore}}, {{w|United States}}
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| July 17 || Drug || International team, including members from {{w|Nanyang Technological University}} (NTU) in {{w|Singapore}} and {{w|McLean Hospital}} and {{w|Harvard Medical School}} in {{w|Massachussets}} report that {{w|Parkinson's disease}} may be treatable with antimalaria drugs.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Paddock|first1=Catharine|title=Parkinson's disease may be treatable with antimalaria drugs|url=http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/296919.php|website=medicalnewstoday.com|accessdate=15 July 2017}}</ref> || {{w|Singapore}}, {{w|United States}}
 
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| July 24 || Drug || European drugs regulators recommend {{w|RTS,S}} (trade name Mosquirix), as safe and effective to use in babies in Africa at risk of the mosquito-borne disease.<ref>{{cite web|title=World's first malaria vaccine gets regulatory go-ahead, faces WHO review|url=http://www.reuters.com/article/us-gsk-malaria-vaccine-idUSKCN0PY0EG20150724|website=reuters.com|accessdate=12 July 2017}}</ref> "The first malaria vaccine is set to be given the green light by regulators on Friday, opening the door for the World Health Organization to recommend its use in developing countries."<ref>{{cite web|title=Malaria vaccine: How good is good enough?|url=http://www.bbc.com/news/health-33640616|website=bbc.com|accessdate=14 July 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=First malaria vaccine given green light by European regulators|url=https://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/jul/24/first-malaria-vaccine-given-green-light-by-european-regulators|website=theguardian.com|accessdate=14 July 2017}}</ref> ||
 
| July 24 || Drug || European drugs regulators recommend {{w|RTS,S}} (trade name Mosquirix), as safe and effective to use in babies in Africa at risk of the mosquito-borne disease.<ref>{{cite web|title=World's first malaria vaccine gets regulatory go-ahead, faces WHO review|url=http://www.reuters.com/article/us-gsk-malaria-vaccine-idUSKCN0PY0EG20150724|website=reuters.com|accessdate=12 July 2017}}</ref> "The first malaria vaccine is set to be given the green light by regulators on Friday, opening the door for the World Health Organization to recommend its use in developing countries."<ref>{{cite web|title=Malaria vaccine: How good is good enough?|url=http://www.bbc.com/news/health-33640616|website=bbc.com|accessdate=14 July 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=First malaria vaccine given green light by European regulators|url=https://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/jul/24/first-malaria-vaccine-given-green-light-by-european-regulators|website=theguardian.com|accessdate=14 July 2017}}</ref> ||
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| September 11 || Epidemiology || Study conducted in {{w|sub-Saharan Africa}} finds that living close to a {{w|dam}} could increase the risk of contracting malaria. After looking at infection rates among people living close to 1,268 dam reservoirs, the researchers found that about 15 million people reside in "risk areas", fewer than 5 kilometers away from a dam. It is stipulated that at least 1.1 million cases of malaria annually can be directly linked to the presence of dams.<ref>{{cite web|title=Can dams increase the risk of malaria?|url=Living close to a dam could increase the risk of contracting malaria, a new study conducted in sub-Saharan Africa has found.|website=cnn.com|url=http://edition.cnn.com/2015/09/11/africa/africa-malaria-dams/index.html|accessdate=13 July 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Malaria cases in Africa are soaring. Here’s the surprising reason why.|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/09/11/malaria-cases-in-africa-are-soaring-heres-the-surprising-reason-why/?utm_term=.5c129579fb76|website=washingtonpost.com|accessdate=13 July 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=One million Africans a year catch malaria from dam mosquitoes|url=http://www.enca.com/africa/one-million-africans-year-catch-malaria-dam-mosquitoes|website=enca.com|accessdate=13 July 2017}}</ref> ||
 
| September 11 || Epidemiology || Study conducted in {{w|sub-Saharan Africa}} finds that living close to a {{w|dam}} could increase the risk of contracting malaria. After looking at infection rates among people living close to 1,268 dam reservoirs, the researchers found that about 15 million people reside in "risk areas", fewer than 5 kilometers away from a dam. It is stipulated that at least 1.1 million cases of malaria annually can be directly linked to the presence of dams.<ref>{{cite web|title=Can dams increase the risk of malaria?|url=Living close to a dam could increase the risk of contracting malaria, a new study conducted in sub-Saharan Africa has found.|website=cnn.com|url=http://edition.cnn.com/2015/09/11/africa/africa-malaria-dams/index.html|accessdate=13 July 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Malaria cases in Africa are soaring. Here’s the surprising reason why.|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/09/11/malaria-cases-in-africa-are-soaring-heres-the-surprising-reason-why/?utm_term=.5c129579fb76|website=washingtonpost.com|accessdate=13 July 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=One million Africans a year catch malaria from dam mosquitoes|url=http://www.enca.com/africa/one-million-africans-year-catch-malaria-dam-mosquitoes|website=enca.com|accessdate=13 July 2017}}</ref> ||
 
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|-
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| September 17 || Statistics || Report published in the journal Nature reveals that nearly 700 million cases of malaria have been prevented in Africa as a result of concerted efforts to tackle the disease since 2000, with the number of infections falling by 50% across the continent. Bed nets are considered responsible for the vast majority of the decrease. Meanwhile, a report by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the charity Unicef says that malaria death rates have fallen 60% globally since 2000 and more than six million lives have been saved. 13 countries reporting malaria cases in 2000 would report no cases in 2014 while a further six countries would have fewer than ten cases. It is communicated that Africa still accounts from 80% of cases and 78% of deaths worldwide. <ref>{{cite web|title=Malaria: '700 million cases' stopped in Africa|url=http://www.bbc.com/news/health-34260339|website=bbc.com|accessdate=14 July 2017}}</ref> ||
+
| September 17 || Statistics || Report published in the journal [[w:Nature (journal)|Nature]] reveals that nearly 700 million cases of malaria have been prevented in Africa as a result of concerted efforts to tackle the disease since 2000, with the number of infections falling by 50% across the continent. Bed nets are considered responsible for the vast majority of the decrease. Meanwhile, a report by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the charity {{w|Unicef}} says that malaria death rates have fallen 60% globally since 2000 and more than six million lives have been saved. 13 countries reporting malaria cases in 2000 would report no cases in 2014 while a further six countries would have fewer than ten cases. It is communicated that Africa still accounts from 80% of cases and 78% of deaths worldwide. <ref>{{cite web|title=Malaria: '700 million cases' stopped in Africa|url=http://www.bbc.com/news/health-34260339|website=bbc.com|accessdate=14 July 2017}}</ref> ||
 
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| September 20 || Drug || {{w|Turing Pharmaceuticals}}, led by American businessman {{w|Martin Shkreli}}, after acquiring Antimalarial drug {{w|Daraprim}} in August, raises the price to $750 a tablet from $13.50, bringing the annual cost of treatment for some patients to hundreds of thousands of dollars. This would result in a backlash, leading Shkreli to be referred to as "the most hated man in America".<ref>{{cite web|title=Drug Goes From $13.50 a Tablet to $750, Overnight|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/21/business/a-huge-overnight-increase-in-a-drugs-price-raises-protests.html|website=nytimes.com|accessdate=15 July 2017}}</ref><ref name="JohnsonWaPo">Carolyn Y. Johnson, [https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/02/04/pharma-bro-martin-shkreli-faces-congress-today-but-pledges-silence "'Pharma bro' Martin Shkreli refuses to testify at congressional hearing, calls lawmakers 'imbeciles' in tweet"], ''The Washington Post'' (February 4, 2015).</ref><ref name="Would Vote Trump Over Clinton">{{cite web|date=September 23, 2015|publisher=Fortune|url=http://fortune.com/2016/06/03/shkreli-trump-twitter-rant/|title=Here’s What ‘The Most Hated Man in America’ Thinks About Donald Trump|first1=Lucinda|last1=Shina|location=New York, NY}}</ref> || United States
 
| September 20 || Drug || {{w|Turing Pharmaceuticals}}, led by American businessman {{w|Martin Shkreli}}, after acquiring Antimalarial drug {{w|Daraprim}} in August, raises the price to $750 a tablet from $13.50, bringing the annual cost of treatment for some patients to hundreds of thousands of dollars. This would result in a backlash, leading Shkreli to be referred to as "the most hated man in America".<ref>{{cite web|title=Drug Goes From $13.50 a Tablet to $750, Overnight|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/21/business/a-huge-overnight-increase-in-a-drugs-price-raises-protests.html|website=nytimes.com|accessdate=15 July 2017}}</ref><ref name="JohnsonWaPo">Carolyn Y. Johnson, [https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/02/04/pharma-bro-martin-shkreli-faces-congress-today-but-pledges-silence "'Pharma bro' Martin Shkreli refuses to testify at congressional hearing, calls lawmakers 'imbeciles' in tweet"], ''The Washington Post'' (February 4, 2015).</ref><ref name="Would Vote Trump Over Clinton">{{cite web|date=September 23, 2015|publisher=Fortune|url=http://fortune.com/2016/06/03/shkreli-trump-twitter-rant/|title=Here’s What ‘The Most Hated Man in America’ Thinks About Donald Trump|first1=Lucinda|last1=Shina|location=New York, NY}}</ref> || United States
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| November 9 || Drug || Research project boosted by $10 million in funding from {{w|Microsoft}} founder {{w|Bill Gates}} and conducted by Australian scientists at the {{w|QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute}} in {{w|Brisbane}} attempts testing candidate antimalarial drugs in healthy volunteers inoculated with a small number of malaria parasites.<ref>{{cite web|title=Bill Gates funds Australian malaria research|url=http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/health/health-problems/bill-gates-funds-australian-malaria-research/news-story/013458239cd65c083f89c69f1fec232a|website=news.com.au|accessdate=15 July 2017}}</ref> || {{w|Australia}}
 
| November 9 || Drug || Research project boosted by $10 million in funding from {{w|Microsoft}} founder {{w|Bill Gates}} and conducted by Australian scientists at the {{w|QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute}} in {{w|Brisbane}} attempts testing candidate antimalarial drugs in healthy volunteers inoculated with a small number of malaria parasites.<ref>{{cite web|title=Bill Gates funds Australian malaria research|url=http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/health/health-problems/bill-gates-funds-australian-malaria-research/news-story/013458239cd65c083f89c69f1fec232a|website=news.com.au|accessdate=15 July 2017}}</ref> || {{w|Australia}}
 
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| November 10 || || The British {{w|Defence Select Committee}} conducts inquiry into use of anti-malarial drug {{w|mefloquine}} (sold under brand name Lariam) given to British military personnel, among concerns of the possible side-effects listed for Lariam, such as depression, paranoia, hallucinations, and psychosis.<ref>{{cite web|title=Army malaria drug mefloquine safety inquiry to start|url=http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-34767810|website=bbc.com|accessdate=15 July 2017}}</ref> ||
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| November 10 || Drug || The British {{w|Defence Select Committee}} conducts inquiry into use of anti-malarial drug {{w|mefloquine}} (sold under brand name Lariam) given to British military personnel, among concerns of the possible side-effects listed for Lariam, such as depression, paranoia, hallucinations, and psychosis.<ref>{{cite web|title=Army malaria drug mefloquine safety inquiry to start|url=http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-34767810|website=bbc.com|accessdate=15 July 2017}}</ref> ||
 
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| November 23 || Scientific development (vector) || Research team from the {{w|University of California}} uses [[w:CRISPR|CRISPR-Cas9]] genome-editing method to insert a package of new genes into 680 embryos of {{w|Anopheles stephensi}} with the purpose of altering their DNA in order to block the parasite that carries malaria, and having within a few generations virtually all the insects’ descendants the antimalaria DNA inherited. The researchers would discuss the possibility that lab-engineered insects could be released into the wild to stop malaria.<ref>{{cite web|title=Mosquito DNA altered to block malaria, not spread it|url=https://www.statnews.com/2015/11/23/malaria-mosquitoes-gene-drive-crispr/|website=statnews.com|accessdate=12 July 2017}}</ref> || {{w|United States}}
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| November 23 || Vector || Research team from the {{w|University of California}} uses [[w:CRISPR|CRISPR-Cas9]] genome-editing method to insert a package of new genes into 680 embryos of {{w|Anopheles stephensi}} with the purpose of altering their DNA in order to block the parasite that carries malaria, and having within a few generations virtually all the insects’ descendants the antimalaria DNA inherited. The researchers would discuss the possibility that lab-engineered insects could be released into the wild to stop malaria.<ref>{{cite web|title=Mosquito DNA altered to block malaria, not spread it|url=https://www.statnews.com/2015/11/23/malaria-mosquitoes-gene-drive-crispr/|website=statnews.com|accessdate=12 July 2017}}</ref> || {{w|United States}}
 
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| November 23 || Funding || British counselor {{w|George Osborne}} teams up with {{w|Bill Gates}} and announces the creation of a £1 billion fund (US$1.5 billion) to combat malaria and other infectious diseases.<ref>{{cite web|title=UK sets up £1bn fund to combat malaria and other infectious diseases|url=https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2015/nov/23/uk-sets-up-1bn-pound-fund-combat-malaria-infectious-diseases-aid|website=theguardian.com|accessdate=13 July 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=George Osborne teams with Bill Gates in bid to eradicate malaria|url=http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/george-osborne-teams-up-with-bill-gates-in-bid-to-eradicate-malaria-a6743771.html|website=independent.co.uk|accessdate=13 July 2017}}</ref> || {{w|United Kingdom}}
 
| November 23 || Funding || British counselor {{w|George Osborne}} teams up with {{w|Bill Gates}} and announces the creation of a £1 billion fund (US$1.5 billion) to combat malaria and other infectious diseases.<ref>{{cite web|title=UK sets up £1bn fund to combat malaria and other infectious diseases|url=https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2015/nov/23/uk-sets-up-1bn-pound-fund-combat-malaria-infectious-diseases-aid|website=theguardian.com|accessdate=13 July 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=George Osborne teams with Bill Gates in bid to eradicate malaria|url=http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/george-osborne-teams-up-with-bill-gates-in-bid-to-eradicate-malaria-a6743771.html|website=independent.co.uk|accessdate=13 July 2017}}</ref> || {{w|United Kingdom}}
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== Visual data ==
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=== Google Trends ===
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The comparative chart below shows {{w|Google Trends}} data for Malaria (Disease), Dengue fever (Disease), Yellow fever (Disease), Zika fever (Disease) and Chikungunya virus infection (Disease), all diseases spread by mosquitoes; from January 2015 to December 2015, when the screenshot was taken. Interest is also ranked by country and displayed on world map.<ref>{{cite web |title=Malaria, Dengue fever, Yellow fever, Zika fever and Chikungunya virus infection |url=https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?date=2015-01-01%202015-12-31&q=%2Fm%2F0542n,%2Fm%2F09wsg,%2Fm%2F087z2,%2Fm%2F02vkznh,%2Fm%2F01__7l |website=Google Trends |access-date=30 March 2021}}</ref>
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[[File:Malaria, Dengue fever, Yellow fever, Zika fever and Chikungunya virus infection 2015 gt.png|thumb|center|600px]]
  
 
==Meta information on the timeline==
 
==Meta information on the timeline==
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==See also==
 
==See also==
  
 +
*[[Timeline of malaria]]
 
*[[Timeline of malaria in 2014]]
 
*[[Timeline of malaria in 2014]]
 
*[[Timeline of malaria in 2016]]
 
*[[Timeline of malaria in 2016]]
 
*[[Timeline of malaria in 2017]]
 
*[[Timeline of malaria in 2017]]
−
*[[Timeline of malaria]]
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*[[Timeline of malaria in 2018]]
  
 
==External links==
 
==External links==

Latest revision as of 12:08, 8 March 2024

This is a timeline of malaria in 2015, attempting to describe progress related to the disease throughout the year.

Development summary

  • Parasites: Mutations linked to resistance are found.
  • Vectors: Mosquitoes can be infected by multiple strains. Spider is found to hund female Anopheles. A strain of mosquitoes capable of rapidly introducing malaria-blocking genes is created in lab. CRISPR technique is used to alter Anopheles DNA.
  • Drugs, treatment, and control methods: Antimalarial hydroxychloroquine is found to reduce heart rate. Also, Parkinson's disease may be treatable with antimalarials.
  • Vaccine: Malaria vaccine candidate RTS,S trials are conducted with reported promising results.
  • Eradication and control progress: Report reveals that nearly 700 million cases of malaria have been prevented in Africa as a result of concerted efforts to tackle the disease since 2000. Maldives becomes the first malaria-free country in the South-East Asia WHO Region.
  • Vector control: The population at risk in Sub-Saharan Africa sleeping under an insecticide-treated mosquito net (ITN) or protected by indoor residual spraying (IRS) reaches 57% (up from 37% in 2010).[1]
  • Other: Tu Youyou is awarded the 2015 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine "for her discoveries concerning a novel therapy against Malaria".

Key figures

Global cases 214 million (range 149–303 million)[2]
Global deaths 438,000 (range 236,000–635,000)[2]
Deaths among children 306,000 (range 219,000–421,000)[2]
Distribution 88% of cases and 90% of deaths occurred in the WHO African Region. 10% of cases and 7% of deaths occurred in the WHO South-East Asia Region. Nigeria and Democratic Republic of Congo, accounted for more than 35% of global malaria deaths.[2]
Malaria financing US$ 2.9 billion[1]


Full timeline

Month/date Event type Details Country
January 17 Parasite Scientists identify mutations in the parasite genome that are linked to resistance, a growing problem in South East Asia.[3]
February 5 Drug Artificial intelligence named Eve, created specifically to automate the early stages of drug design, finds compounds with the potencial of combating drug-resistant malaria.[4][5][6]
February 15 Parasite Scientists report that drug-resistant malaria is on the cusp of re-emerging in India, after the strain is detected near the country’s border in Myanmar.[7] India
March 18 Symptom Scientist in Michigan publish research indicating devastating effects of malaria in the brain.[8] United States
March 19 Symptom Researchers describe conclusively that in children infected with malaria, brain swelling crushes the brainstem, which is where the neural stimulus for breathing originates, causing some children to die from cerebral malaria.[9]
March 25 Parasite, Vector Research team at Washington University School of Medicine in Saint Louis, Missouri finds that the parasite that causes malaria produces an odor which attracts mosquitoes, inviting more bites and infections.[10] United States
April 24 Drug Clinical trial results of malaria vaccine candidate RTS,S shows partial protection for up to four years.[11][12]
April 24 Statistics In Africa, where 80 percent of malaria cases occur, malaria costs an estimated minimum of US$ $12 billion in lost productivity each year. In some high-burden countries the disease is estimated to account for as much as 40% of public health expenditure.[13]
May 8 Drug Malaria vaccine candidate developed at Oxford University is found to be 67% effective in a study of 121 men in Kenya.[14]
May 21 Drug Medical researchers at University of Oxford find that malaria drug hydroxychloroquine reduces heart rate significantly. The drug was also found useful in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and lupus}.[15] United Kingdom
June 17 Drug Researchers at Dundee University discover a new compound which could treat malaria while protecting people from the disease and preventing its spread, all in a single dose.[16][17][18] United Kingdom
June 24 Epidemiology Study suggests that malaria likely killed many more people than usual in the west African nation of Guinea during the West African Ebola virus epidemic, as tens of thousands with potential signs of the mosquito-spread disease probably shunned health clinics.[19] Tens of thousands of malaria cases would have gone untreated in Guinea last year as people with symptoms shunned health clinics for fear of being sent into isolation at Ebola treatment centres, according to authoritative research. The study suggests that far more people will have died from malaria in 2014 than Ebola, which had killed 2,444 people by 15 June of 2015.[20]
July 8 Drug Sanofi teams with its partners at Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV) with the purpose of developing a single-dose treatment for malaria, advancing a pair of candidates through mid-stage development.[21]
July 14 Funding The global community agrees to reduce deaths by 90%, and eliminate malaria in at least 35 countries by 2030, amid the negotiations taking place at the third international financing for development conference in Addis Ababa. Experts estimate that the cost of achieving such goals would be US$ 100bn, which requires to raise $6.5bn per year by 2020.[22] Ethiopia
July 16 Vector Lab tests at Pennsylvania State University and the United States National Institutes of Health show that mosquitoes can be infected with multiple strains of the malaria parasite, and the potent bite of these overburdened bugs seem more likely to result in malaria transmission.[23] United States
July 16 Drug Researchers at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and in Australia show that a drug currently in testing shows potential to cure malaria in a single dose and offers promise as a preventive treatment as well.[24] United States, Australia
July 17 Drug International team, including members from Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in Singapore and McLean Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Massachussets report that Parkinson's disease may be treatable with antimalaria drugs.[25] Singapore, United States
July 24 Drug European drugs regulators recommend RTS,S (trade name Mosquirix), as safe and effective to use in babies in Africa at risk of the mosquito-borne disease.[26] "The first malaria vaccine is set to be given the green light by regulators on Friday, opening the door for the World Health Organization to recommend its use in developing countries."[27][28]
August 5 Vector Researchers at the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (Icipe) in Kenya, who co-authored a study on the spiders, describe a species of jumping spider found only around Lake Victoria in east Africa, called Evarcha culicivora, which is adapted to hunt female Anopheles mosquitoes that transmit malaria parasites.[29] Kenya
October 23 Drug The World Health Organization advisory committee endorses use of the RTS,S vaccine candidate in small-scale demonstrations.[30]
September 11 Epidemiology Study conducted in sub-Saharan Africa finds that living close to a dam could increase the risk of contracting malaria. After looking at infection rates among people living close to 1,268 dam reservoirs, the researchers found that about 15 million people reside in "risk areas", fewer than 5 kilometers away from a dam. It is stipulated that at least 1.1 million cases of malaria annually can be directly linked to the presence of dams.[31][32][33]
September 17 Statistics Report published in the journal Nature reveals that nearly 700 million cases of malaria have been prevented in Africa as a result of concerted efforts to tackle the disease since 2000, with the number of infections falling by 50% across the continent. Bed nets are considered responsible for the vast majority of the decrease. Meanwhile, a report by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the charity Unicef says that malaria death rates have fallen 60% globally since 2000 and more than six million lives have been saved. 13 countries reporting malaria cases in 2000 would report no cases in 2014 while a further six countries would have fewer than ten cases. It is communicated that Africa still accounts from 80% of cases and 78% of deaths worldwide. [34]
September 20 Drug Turing Pharmaceuticals, led by American businessman Martin Shkreli, after acquiring Antimalarial drug Daraprim in August, raises the price to $750 a tablet from $13.50, bringing the annual cost of treatment for some patients to hundreds of thousands of dollars. This would result in a backlash, leading Shkreli to be referred to as "the most hated man in America".[35][36][37] United States
September 28 Funding The United Nations and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation releases report titled "From Aspiration to Action: What Will It Take to End Malaria?" urging major donors and malaria-affected countries to expand their commitment to the fight against the disease, noting that eradication could save 11 million lives and unlock $2 trillion in economic benefits.[38]
October 5 Award Chinese pharmaceutical chemist Tu Youyou is awarded the 2015 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine "for her discoveries concerning a novel therapy against Malaria". Youyou discovered artemisinin (also known as qinghaosu) and dihydroartemisinin.[39][40]
October 14 Parasite Malaria researchers at the University of Copenhagen and cancer scientists at the University of British Columbia reveal that the carbohydrate that the malaria parasite attaches itself to in the placenta in pregnant women is identical to a carbohydrate found in cancer cells. This suggests that a hunt for a vaccine against malaria in pregnant women could provide an unexpected side effect as a cure for cancer.[41][42][43][44] Denmark, Canada
October 20 Parasite, vector Research conducted at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIAID) shows that drug-resistant malaria parasite found in South East Asia can also infect mosquito species in Africa.[45]
November 9 Drug Research project boosted by $10 million in funding from Microsoft founder Bill Gates and conducted by Australian scientists at the QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute in Brisbane attempts testing candidate antimalarial drugs in healthy volunteers inoculated with a small number of malaria parasites.[46] Australia
November 10 Drug The British Defence Select Committee conducts inquiry into use of anti-malarial drug mefloquine (sold under brand name Lariam) given to British military personnel, among concerns of the possible side-effects listed for Lariam, such as depression, paranoia, hallucinations, and psychosis.[47]
November 23 Vector Research team from the University of California uses CRISPR-Cas9 genome-editing method to insert a package of new genes into 680 embryos of Anopheles stephensi with the purpose of altering their DNA in order to block the parasite that carries malaria, and having within a few generations virtually all the insects’ descendants the antimalaria DNA inherited. The researchers would discuss the possibility that lab-engineered insects could be released into the wild to stop malaria.[48] United States
November 23 Funding British counselor George Osborne teams up with Bill Gates and announces the creation of a £1 billion fund (US$1.5 billion) to combat malaria and other infectious diseases.[49][50] United Kingdom
November 23 Vector Researchers at the University of California, using gene editing technique, manage to create a strain of mosquitoes capable of rapidly introducing malaria-blocking genes into a mosquito population through its progeny, ultimately eliminating the insects’ ability to transmit the malaria to humans.[51][52] United States
December Epidemiology The World Health Organization officially certifies the Republic of Maldives as the first malaria-free country in the South-East Asia WHO Region.[53] Maldives
December 9 Report The World Malaria Report is published. A total of 438,000 deaths due to malaria are reported worldwide during the year, with most occuring in the African Region (90%), followed by the South-East Asia Region (7%) and the Eastern Mediterranean Region (2%).[54][55] Of the 106 countries and territories with malaria transmission in 2000, 102 are projected to reverse the incidence of malaria by the end of 2015. Also, between 2000 and 2015, the proportion of children under 5 sleeping under an insecticide treated net in sub-Saharan Africa is found to have increased from less than 2% to an estimated 68%. 1 in 4 children in sub-Saharan Africa still lives in a household with no ITN and no protection provided by indoor residual spraying.[56]
December 8 Vector Scientists from Imperial College London, using CRISPR technology –a genome editing tool–, announce having successfully genetically modified major malaria vector Anopheles gambiae to carry infertile traits.[57][58] United Kingdom

Visual data

Google Trends

The comparative chart below shows Google Trends data for Malaria (Disease), Dengue fever (Disease), Yellow fever (Disease), Zika fever (Disease) and Chikungunya virus infection (Disease), all diseases spread by mosquitoes; from January 2015 to December 2015, when the screenshot was taken. Interest is also ranked by country and displayed on world map.[59]

Malaria, Dengue fever, Yellow fever, Zika fever and Chikungunya virus infection 2015 gt.png

Meta information on the timeline

How the timeline was built

The initial version of the timeline was written by User:Sebastian.

Funding information for this timeline is available.

What the timeline is still missing

Timeline update strategy

See also

External links

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "WORLD MALARIA REPORT" (PDF). who.int. Retrieved 13 July 2017. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 "New report signals country progress in the path to malaria elimination". who.int. Retrieved 13 July 2017. 
  3. ↑ Morelle, Rebecca. "Genetics of malaria drug resistance revealed". bbc.com. Retrieved 14 July 2017. 
  4. ↑ "Robot Scientist Discovers Potential Malaria Drug". scientificamerican.com. Retrieved 13 July 2017. 
  5. ↑ "Eve the robot scientist discovers new drug candidate for malaria". engadget.com. Retrieved 13 July 2017. 
  6. ↑ "Malaria Treatment And Other Cures May Soon Be Found By Artificially Intelligent Robots". medicaldaily.com. Retrieved 13 July 2017. 
  7. ↑ "New Strain of Drug-Resistant Malaria Could Reach India". wsj.com. Retrieved 13 July 2017. 
  8. ↑ "How Malaria In The Brain Kills: Doctors Solve A Medical Mystery". npr.org. Retrieved 13 July 2017. 
  9. ↑ "Why Malaria Kills Babies, and a Path to Finding New Treatments". newsweek.com. Retrieved 13 July 2017. 
  10. ↑ Berman, Jessica. "Mosquitoes Attracted to Malaria Parasite in People". voanews.com. Retrieved 13 July 2017. 
  11. ↑ "World's First Viable MalariaVaccine Shows Success in Trials". time.com. Retrieved 13 July 2017. 
  12. ↑ "Malaria vaccine a breakthrough despite being partially effective, say scientists". theguardian.com. Retrieved 13 July 2017. 
  13. ↑ "Africa: Malaria Costs Africa U.S.$12 Billion a Year". allafrica.com. Retrieved 13 July 2017. 
  14. ↑ "Malaria 'viral' vaccine shows promising early results". bbc.com. Retrieved 14 July 2017. 
  15. ↑ Hennessy, Mark. "Malaria drug to be repurposed for the heart". irishtimes.com. Retrieved 15 July 2017. 
  16. ↑ "New anti-malaria drug developed at Dundee University". bbc.com. Retrieved 13 July 2017. 
  17. ↑ "New anti-malarial treatment provides hope in battle against drug resistance". theguardian.com. Retrieved 13 July 2017. 
  18. ↑ "Malaria drug breakthrough could lead to single dose treatment: Compound could also act as immunisation against disease". dailymail.co.uk. Retrieved 15 July 2017. 
  19. ↑ "Malaria killed more people than usual in Ebola outbreak in Guinea". telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 13 July 2017. 
  20. ↑ "Thousands of Guinea malaria cases go untreated amid Ebola fears". theguardian.com. Retrieved 13 July 2017. 
  21. ↑ "Sanofi advances a one-shot malaria program as drug resistance spreads". fiercebiotech.com. Retrieved 15 July 2017. 
  22. ↑ "Here's how to wipe malaria off the map". theguardian.com. Retrieved 14 July 2017. 
  23. ↑ "Mosquitoes Can Carry, and Deliver, a Double Dose of Malaria". smithsonianmag.com. Retrieved 14 July 2017. 
  24. ↑ "New drug DSM265 shows potential to cure, prevent malaria". news-medical.net. Retrieved 15 July 2017. 
  25. ↑ Paddock, Catharine. "Parkinson's disease may be treatable with antimalaria drugs". medicalnewstoday.com. Retrieved 15 July 2017. 
  26. ↑ "World's first malaria vaccine gets regulatory go-ahead, faces WHO review". reuters.com. Retrieved 12 July 2017. 
  27. ↑ "Malaria vaccine: How good is good enough?". bbc.com. Retrieved 14 July 2017. 
  28. ↑ "First malaria vaccine given green light by European regulators". theguardian.com. Retrieved 14 July 2017. 
  29. ↑ "Mosquito-eating vampire spider could be recruited for war on malaria". theguardian.com. Retrieved 14 July 2017. 
  30. ↑ "Malaria vaccine cautiously recommended for use in Africa". nature.com. Retrieved 14 July 2017. 
  31. ↑ "Can dams increase the risk of malaria?". cnn.com. Retrieved 13 July 2017. 
  32. ↑ "Malaria cases in Africa are soaring. Here's the surprising reason why.". washingtonpost.com. Retrieved 13 July 2017. 
  33. ↑ "One million Africans a year catch malaria from dam mosquitoes". enca.com. Retrieved 13 July 2017. 
  34. ↑ "Malaria: '700 million cases' stopped in Africa". bbc.com. Retrieved 14 July 2017. 
  35. ↑ "Drug Goes From $13.50 a Tablet to $750, Overnight". nytimes.com. Retrieved 15 July 2017. 
  36. ↑ Carolyn Y. Johnson, "'Pharma bro' Martin Shkreli refuses to testify at congressional hearing, calls lawmakers 'imbeciles' in tweet", The Washington Post (February 4, 2015).
  37. ↑ Shina, Lucinda (September 23, 2015). "Here's What 'The Most Hated Man in America' Thinks About Donald Trump". New York, NY: Fortune. 
  38. ↑ "Report by UN and Gates Foundation presents vision for eradicating malaria by 2040". un.org. Retrieved 13 July 2017. 
  39. ↑ "Youyou Tu - Facts". nobelprize.org. Retrieved 12 July 2017. 
  40. ↑ "A Chinese pharmacologist who discovered a treatment for malaria in an ancient Chinese remedy gets a Nobel prize". pri.org. Retrieved 12 July 2017. 
  41. ↑ "Cure for cancer might accidentally have been found, and it could be malaria". independent.co.uk. Retrieved 13 July 2017. 
  42. ↑ "Cancer breakthrough as scientists create MALARIA protein that could 'destroy nine in 10 cancers'". dailymail.co.uk. Retrieved 13 July 2017. 
  43. ↑ "Malaria protein may hold key for cancer cure, scientists say". foxnews.com. Retrieved 13 July 2017. 
  44. ↑ "Malaria vaccine provides hope for a general cure for cancer". ku.dk. Retrieved 13 July 2017. 
  45. ↑ "Drug-resistant malaria can infect African mosquitoes". bbc.com. Retrieved 15 July 2017. 
  46. ↑ "Bill Gates funds Australian malaria research". news.com.au. Retrieved 15 July 2017. 
  47. ↑ "Army malaria drug mefloquine safety inquiry to start". bbc.com. Retrieved 15 July 2017. 
  48. ↑ "Mosquito DNA altered to block malaria, not spread it". statnews.com. Retrieved 12 July 2017. 
  49. ↑ "UK sets up £1bn fund to combat malaria and other infectious diseases". theguardian.com. Retrieved 13 July 2017. 
  50. ↑ "George Osborne teams with Bill Gates in bid to eradicate malaria". independent.co.uk. Retrieved 13 July 2017. 
  51. ↑ "University of California scientists create malaria-blocking mosquitoes". uci.edu. Retrieved 14 July 2017. 
  52. ↑ Roberts, Michelle. "Mutant mosquitoes 'resist malaria'". bbc.com. Retrieved 14 July 2017. 
  53. ↑ "Malaria-free Maldives". who.int. Retrieved 11 July 2017. 
  54. ↑ "World Malaria Report 2015" (PDF). who.int. Retrieved 12 July 2017. 
  55. ↑ "Malaria deaths drop below half a million, Africa makes progress: WHO". reuters.com. Retrieved 13 July 2017. 
  56. ↑ "WHO/UNICEF report: Malaria MDG target achieved amid sharp drop in cases and mortality, but 3 billion people remain at risk". who.int. Retrieved 13 July 2017. 
  57. ↑ "This Could Be the End of Malaria as We Know It". fortune.com. Retrieved 13 July 2017. 
  58. ↑ "Malaria kills a half-million Africans a year. Gene-edited mosquitoes might stop it". statnews.com. Retrieved 14 July 2017. 
  59. ↑ "Malaria, Dengue fever, Yellow fever, Zika fever and Chikungunya virus infection". Google Trends. Retrieved 30 March 2021. 
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