This is Robert Cohen with the VOA Special English DevelopmentReport.
Malaria is a very serious diseasethat kills more children under the age of five than any otherdisease. People get malaria when they are bitten by tiny insectscalled mosquitoes. The mosquitoes carry parasites which enter aperson’s blood and cause malaria.
Carter Dibbs is an American doctor who works on the MalariaVaccine Development Program for the United States Agency forInternational Development. Doctor Dibbs says the parasite thatcauses malaria is much more complex than other organisms, such asthe virus that causes polio. He says the malaria parasite uses manytricks so that it is more difficult to make a vaccine that is safeand will prevent the disease.
Malaria vaccines are now being tested on adults in Burkina Fasoand Mali. Vaccines are being tested on children in Mozambique andMali.
Many organizations are involved in the testing. They includeU.S.A.I.D, the American military, American health organizations, andEuropean governments.
To make sure that a vaccine will really prevent malaria, it mustbe tested on many people in many different places. Doctor Dibbs saysthe people who join the vaccine tests are as important to the goalof finding the right medicine as the scientists.
People are told about the tests during public meetings withcommunity leaders. Doctor Dibbs says people should ask questionsabout good or bad things that could happen to their bodies if theytake the medicine that is being tested. Adults or parents ofchildren must agree to the vaccine test.
Adults receive a small amount of the vaccine medicine. Thechildren receive either the malaria vaccine or a different medicinethat protects them against a different disease.
Then health care workers observe the people to see if they showany signs of malaria. The results of the tests must be compared topeople who have not received the vaccine.
The vaccine is successful if fifty percent of the people whoreceive it do not show any signs of malaria for one year.
Then the United States government will be asked to approve thevaccine. However, it could still take another five years before alicensed vaccine is ready to give to all the children in Africa andaround the world.
This VOA Special English Development Report was written by KarenLeggett. This is Robert Cohen.