By RFIPalled on 23-08-2019Modified on 23-08-2019 at 16:51

Will the resistance to malaria drugs spread to Africa? This is the question posed by African scientists, grouped for the first time in a network. The Plasmodium Diversity Network Africa (PNDA) published this Thursday, August 22 an article in the prestigious American newspaper Science. The challenge of this research is to understand the strains of specifically African malaria.

Since 2013, 15 African scientists in 15 countries of the continent have been studying the genetics of the parasites that cause malaria. Until now, African parasites were considered uniform, compared by Western researchers with those in Asia or Latin America.

However, according to the first network research of Plasmodium Diversity Network Africa (PDNA), their genetics are beautiful and distinct from Cape Verde to Ethiopia, from South Africa to Côte d'Ivoire. Far from being harmless, this advance is essential because it will better prevent resistance to anti-malarial drugs.

Changing genetic composition

" We have shown that the genetic composition of parasites is changing," says Professor Abdoulaye Djimdé, director of PDNA, the network of African researchers who wrote the article in the journal Science . This must be taken into account when developing new drugs, but also when developing new vaccines against malaria and when developing new diagnostic tools. "

This resistance to treatment made its appearance in 2008 in Cambodia and is still spreading in Asia. But according to African biologists, first-fruits could lead to drug resistance also in Africa. They observed genetic changes in parasites in Ghana and Malawi.

92% of malaria cases in Africa in 2017

" Very often," continues Professor Abdoulaye Djimdé, " we see that vaccines developed give good results in the laboratory. But when we arrive on the ground, we are disappointed. And this disappointment is mainly due to the fact that we have not taken enough into account the specificities of parasites found on the ground. "

It must be remembered that malaria remains a major public health problem. In 2017, 92% of cases and 93% of deaths from this disease occurred on the African continent, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). More edifying, half of the world's cases were recorded in five countries, including four African states: Nigeria (25%), Democratic Republic of Congo (11%), Mozambique (5%), India (4%) and Uganda (4%), according to the WHO.

See also: Malaria: an anti-mosquito toxin to fight the disease

Preventive treatment experienced in Burkina

With nearly 12 million cases of malaria recorded in 2018 in Burkina Faso, the country represents more than 5.4% of the global total. The disease also caused the death of 4000 Burkinabè, 60% of whom are children aged 0 to 5 years.

To combat this disease effectively, Burkina Faso has been experimenting since 2014 with the " chemoprevention of seasonal malaria ". A preventive treatment that consists of giving children 0 to 5 years, the most affected by the disease, tablets during the months of high transmission, from July to October.

Net decrease in malaria cases

The commune of Laye, 30 km west of Ouagadougou, was among the first to receive this preventive treatment. Cases of malaria have thus dropped considerably compared to previous years since the beginning of seasonal malaria chemoprevention.

" Since the arrival of the drug, malaria has decreased, confirms Naba Djiguemde, one of the village notables. And if it continues like this, this disease will disappear. Before, during the rainy season, children could be brought to the clinic five to six times because of malaria. Now we do not go anymore. Or once, at most. "

Protect 3 million children

With the experimentation of this preventive treatment, the government hopes to protect about 3 million children. " SPC is the chemoprevention of seasonal malaria, which consists of giving children medication as a prevention during the high-transmission season to protect them from malaria, " says Dr. Justin Sawadogo, Drug Prevention Officer on the program. national anti-malaria campaign.

Gregoire Kaboré, father of a four-year-old child, claims that his son has been coming to the clinic less and less since being subjected to preventive treatment. " He received the product," he says. Overall, there is no problem, that's fine. He does not go to the center like that anymore. The treatment is good, very good! "

According to officials of the national malaria control program, SPC is expected to reduce by 75% the cases of uncomplicated malaria and severe malaria in Burkina Faso.

To read also: The reasons for the malaria epidemic in Burundi

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