18/06/04

The high and low roads to malaria control

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<h1>The high and low roads to malaria control</h1>
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<p><P>Controlling malaria disease is a top health priority. However, there is considerable debate over the merits of high versus low-tech methods. </P><br />
<P>In this letter to <em>Science</em>, biologist Stephen M. Smith of the University of Waterloo, Canada, argues that although the spotlight is on high-tech approaches such as mosquito irradiation, genetic modification and vaccine development, these may take decades to be effective. Meanwhile, insecticide-impregnated bed nets and other low-tech methods fail to attract funding.</P><br />
<P>But Jane Hemingway and Alister Craig of the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine say that a concentration on insecticide-based control could increase resistance, and has already proven unpopular. And progress towards high-tech solutions such as transgenic mosquitoes has been rapid, they say. They argue that funding should cover a broad range of treatments and that high- and low-tech approaches should complement — not compete with — each other.</P><br />
<P><a  href="/sci.cfm?redir=http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/304/5678/1744b?ijkey=Tbji3zSdD41fU&keytype=ref&siteid=sci" target="_blank" onclick="pageTracker._trackPageview('/tracking/external/'+this.href);" rel="noopener noreferrer">Link to full letter in <EM>Science</EM></A> </P><br />
<P>Reference: Science, 304, 1744 (2004)</P></p>

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<p>This article was originally published on <a href="https://www.scidev.net" target="_blank">SciDev.Net</a>. Read the <a href="https://www.scidev.net/sub-saharan-africa/opinions/the-high-and-low-roads-to-malaria-control-ssa/" target="_blank">original article</a>.</p>
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Controlling malaria disease is a top health priority. However, there is considerable debate over the merits of high versus low-tech methods.

In this letter to Science, biologist Stephen M. Smith of the University of Waterloo, Canada, argues that although the spotlight is on high-tech approaches such as mosquito irradiation, genetic modification and vaccine development, these may take decades to be effective. Meanwhile, insecticide-impregnated bed nets and other low-tech methods fail to attract funding.

But Jane Hemingway and Alister Craig of the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine say that a concentration on insecticide-based control could increase resistance, and has already proven unpopular. And progress towards high-tech solutions such as transgenic mosquitoes has been rapid, they say. They argue that funding should cover a broad range of treatments and that high- and low-tech approaches should complement — not compete with — each other.

Link to full letter in Science

Reference: Science, 304, 1744 (2004)