From Discovery to Impact: Why Making a Difference for Africa May Make a Difference to You
By Dr. Kevin Kain, Director, Global Health
About half of the world's population is at risk for contracting malaria and about one in five of all childhood deaths in Africa is due to the disease. Severe malaria remains a major cause of global morbidity and mortality. Malaria kills nearly 1 million people worldwide each year and although it is those living in the poorest countries that are the most vulnerable to the infection, the effects of malaria have become a global issue. Approximately 30,000 travelers from industrialized countries contract malaria each year and about 1 in 100 of the cases reported result in death.
What is Malaria and what are its symptoms?
Malaria is spread through a parasite known as Plasmodium, which taints red blood cells and is carried by infected mosquitoes. The disease is transmitted from person to person through the bite of infected female mosquitos.
Malaria delivers flu-like symptoms such as chills, muscle aches, headaches and fever. Cases of severe malaria can cause central nervous system problems, including coma, seizures and death. Once cerebral malaria occurs, there is currently no known treatment available.
Malaria and how it affects you?
North Americans are not immune to the debilitating and potentially deadly effects of this disease. The Caribbean and areas of the Dominican Republic and Jamaica are home to mosquitoes that spread the parasite. With millions of Canadians travelling each year, the risk of contracting malaria becomes heightened. Though there is treatment for malaria, early diagnosis and prompt treatment is imperative to survival and full recovery. Preventing mosquito bites and using an anti-malarial medication when you venture into regions known to carry the disease is the best method of protection, however no anti-malaria medication is 100 per cent effective.
From Discovery to Impact
Dr. Kevin Kain, Director of Global Health at the Medcan Clinic and his research team have made discoveries that hold promise to improve the outcome of one of the world's leading causes of childhood death, cerebral malaria. Cerebral malaria, specifically, causes an estimated 800,000 cases per year. It carries a fatality rate of 20 per cent or more, despite using the best available anti-malarial drugs. Of the children who survive cerebral malaria, approximately 30 per cent or more will have long-term learning and other cognitive disabilities. Dr Kain's research is helping to identify children at risk of severe malaria and providing novel and inexpensive interventions to improve survival and decrease brain injury.
The Trial
Low-flow inhaled nitric oxide gas (iNO) is currently used as a treatment for hypoxic respiratory failure in infants less than four weeks old. Hypoxic respiratory failure occurs when there is insufficient oxygen in the blood for the body tissues to function. Based on compelling data on the efficacy of iNO on experimental cerebral malaria in animal models, Dr. Kain and his team believe that iNO could be used as a treatment for severe malaria in Ugandan children.
If iNO proves to be a successful treatment for cerebral Malaria, these findings could have broad implications for many other life-threatening infections for which no specific therapy currently exists. These include, sepsis (a leading cause of death in Canadian hospitals), pandemic influenza and viral hemorrhagic fevers.
iNO Uganda
The trial will take place at the Jinja Regional Referral Hospital, located in the city of Jinja in the central area of Uganda near Kampala. 180 children 1-10 years old admitted to hospital with moderately severe and severe malaria will be part of this clinical trial; 90 will receive iNO (80ppm) and 90 will receive placebo (room air).
What can you do to help?
Support is needed to help make this trial possible. Funds for a number of essential expenses, including hospital costs for children with severe malaria, renovations for the hospital, follow-up neurocognitive testing, and support is needed for the Ugandan doctors and nurses who are helping with this trial.
The team has developed a few fundraising efforts that you can become involved in:
June 7th Event:
On June 7th 2011 an event will be held at the Rosewater Supper Club to help raise awareness and support for Dr. Kain and his research team. Learn how they are making novel advancements and discover how you can protect yourself from and help make a difference in the fight against malaria. Special guest Jay Ingram, co-host of Daily Planet, will moderate the event.
To RSVP to this event click here. For more information and to view the event invite click here.
Mount Kilimanjaro:
In September 2011 a few adventurous climbers will embark on a journey up Africa’s highest mountain to raise funds for the iNO trial. You are able to pledge the climbers and help them make it to the top!
To Learn more about this study and for up-to-date information please visit the iNO Website.