PHA-Exchange> The high and low roads to malaria control

[George Lessard]

The high and low roads to malaria control
http://www.scidev.net/Opinions/index.cfm?fuseaction=readOpinions&itemid=286&language=1
Stephen M. Smith, Jane Hemingway and Alister Craig debate the pros 
and cons of high- versus low-tech approaches in the fight against 
malaria. (Source: Science)

Science , Vol 304, Issue 5678, 1744 , 18 June 2004
[DOI: 10.1126/science.304.5678.1744b]


18 June 2004


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.

Stephen M. Smith
Department of Biology,
University of Waterloo,
Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1,
Canada.
E-mail: smithsm at sciborg.uwaterloo.ca

Direct Link to full letter in Science
<http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/304/5678/1744b?ijkey=Tbji3zSdD41fU&keytype=ref&siteid=sci>

Reference: Science, 304, 1744 (2004)

The editors suggest these related resources at Science :
PARASITOLOGY:
Enhanced: New Ways to Control Malaria
Janet Hemingway and Alister Craig
Science 26 March 2004: 1984-1985
[Summary <http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/summary/sci;303/5666/1984>]
[Full Text <http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/sci;303/5666/1984>]
[PDF <http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/reprint/sci;303/5666/1984>]