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. 2014 Jan 8;3(1):1.
doi: 10.1186/2049-9957-3-1.

Control of malaria and other vector-borne protozoan diseases in the tropics: enduring challenges despite considerable progress and achievements

Denis Zofou  1 , Raymond B Nyasa, Dickson S Nsagha, Fidele Ntie-Kang, Henry D Meriki, Jules Clement N Assob, Victor Kuete
Affiliations

Control of malaria and other vector-borne protozoan diseases in the tropics: enduring challenges despite considerable progress and achievements

Denis Zofou et al. Infect Dis Poverty. .

Abstract

Vector-borne protozoan diseases represent a serious public health challenge, especially in the tropics where poverty together with vector-favorable climates are the aggravating factors. Each of the various strategies currently employed to face these scourges is seriously inadequate. Despite enormous efforts, vaccines-which represent the ideal weapon against these parasitic diseases-are yet to be sufficiently developed and implemented. Chemotherapy and vector control are therefore the sole effective attempts to minimize the disease burden. Nowadays, both strategies are also highly challenged by the phenomenon of drug and insecticide resistance, which affects virtually all interventions currently used. The recently growing support from international organizations and governments of some endemic countries is warmly welcome, and should be optimally exploited in the various approaches to drug and insecticide research and development to overcome the burden of these prevalent diseases, especially malaria, leishmaniasis, Human African Trypanosomiasis (HAT), and Chagas disease.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Efforts of the international community towards vector control of protozoan diseases: 2004–2012. Source: WHO [2], PATH [89]; UNICEF Supply Reports for 2010, 2011 & 2012, available at http://www.unicef.org/supply/index_68730.html; ITNs: insecticide-treated bednets.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Chemical structures of some antimalarial drugs currently in use.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Chemical structures of some antileishmanial drugs currently in use.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Chemical structures of some antitrypanosomial drugs currently in use.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Distribution of global funding towards drug R&D for protozoan diseases: 2007–2009. Source: PATH [89], RBM [90], G-FINDER [92]. Distribution data not available for 2005 and 2006.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Distribution of the global funding for R&D targeting protozoan diseases. PATH [89], RBM [90], G-FINDER [92].
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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