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Indian Express
4 days ago
- Health
- Indian Express
Knowledge Nugget: AdFalciVax and the fight against malaria — What you must-know for UPSC Exam
Take a look at the essential events, concepts, terms, quotes, or phenomena every day and brush up your knowledge. Here's your UPSC Current Affairs Knowledge Nugget for today on AdFalciVax and malaria. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has invited the country's vaccine manufacturers to partner with it to launch and sell a malaria vaccine, AdFalciVax, that its Regional Medical Research Centre, Bhubaneshwar, has developed. In this context, let's know about this new vaccine and malaria. 1. AdFalciVax is a chimeric recombinant vaccine — a type of vaccine that uses different parts of the genes of a pathogen (in this case, Plasmodium) to create target proteins that trigger an immune response after being injected. 2. AdFalciVax uses two types of target proteins to prevent the spread of infection in two different ways. ↪ It uses the circumsporozoite protein (CSP) to prevent infection in the person who has been immunised. The CSP is produced during the sporozoite stage (when a parasite can infect a new host) and the liver stage (when a parasite enters liver cells, multiplies, and then infects red blood cells) of the parasite. 'Any immune response generated against these stages protects the immunised person from getting the infection.' Subhash Singh, project manager for development of the vaccine at the ICMR-Regional Medical Research Centre, Bhubaneswar told The Indian Express. ↪ The vaccine also uses the Pro6C protein, a fusion of parts of two different proteins — Pfs230 and Pfs48/45 — produced by Plasmodium falciparum. This protein prevents the spread of infection in the community. 3. Researchers have found that AdFalciVax provided more than 90% protection against infection in mice. The candidate vaccine has yet to undergo rigorous human trials, and the preliminary results have been obtained only through testing on animals. 4. The ICMR wants to partner with a company that can further develop its candidate vaccine, carry out human clinical trials, and scale up for commercial production. Although the ICMR will share the technology of developing AdFalciVax with the chosen company, it will continue to hold the intellectual property rights. Any intellectual property rights generated during the collaboration will be held jointly by the ICMR and the company. 5. Notably, AdFalciVax mainly targets two parts of Plasmodium falciparum, a pathogen that is the most common source of malaria in humans. In India, however, the disease is caused by Plasmodium vivax against which AdFalciVax is ineffective. To combat malaria, scientists have been working to develop a vaccine for decades but with limited success. Recently, two vaccines—RTS,S and R21—were approved for use, but their efficacy, at 75%, is quite low. That's why the announcement about ICMR's candidate vaccine has given new hope in the fight against the disease. World Malaria Day is observed every year on 25th April by the World Health Organisation to raise awareness and drive action against malaria. The theme for World Malaria Day 2025 is 'Malaria Ends With Us: Reinvest, Reimagine, Reignite.' 1. Having claimed millions of lives, malaria has been one of the deadliest diseases in human history. Currently, the disease kills about four lakh people annually, according to World Health Organization (WHO) figures. 2. Malaria is a parasitic infection transmitted by mosquitoes, typically causing symptoms such as fever, chills, night sweats, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhoea. In some cases, it can lead to severe complications such as seizures, fluid in the lungs, organ damage, and death. 3. It is most endemic in Africa — Nigeria, Congo, Tanzania, Mozambique, Niger, and Burkina Faso together account for more than half the yearly deaths. 1. India has demonstrated significant progress in reducing malaria cases and associated mortality in the country's high-endemic states, according to the findings of the World Health Organisation's (WHO) 'World Malaria Report 2024′. 2. 'India exited the HBHI [high-burden to high-impact] group officially in 2024 due to significant progress in reducing the malaria incidence and mortality observed in its high-endemic states,' the report observed. 3.'Nationwide, the number of estimated malaria cases in India decreased from 6.4 million in 2017 (the year before the HBHI's introduction) to 2 million cases in 2023 (69 per cent decrease). Similarly, the estimated malaria deaths decreased from 11,100 to 3,500 (68 per cent decrease) during the same period,' it said. 4. The HBHI refers to a targeted WHO initiative aimed at the most acutely malaria-impacted regions of the world, including several countries in Africa. Widespread resistance of malarial parasite to drugs like chloroquine has prompted attempts to develop a malarial vaccine to combat malaria. Why is it difficult to develop an effective malaria vaccine? (UPSC CSE 2010) (a) Malaria is caused by several species of Plasmodium (b) Man does not develop immunity to malaria during natural infection (c) Vaccines can be developed only against bacteria (d) Man is only an intermediate host and not the definitive host (Sources: India registers 'significant progress' in reducing malaria cases: WHO, WHO report says India reduces malaria caseload, deaths by 69% each) Subscribe to our UPSC newsletter. Stay updated with the latest UPSC articles by joining our Telegram channel – Indian Express UPSC Hub, and follow us on Instagram and X. 🚨 Click Here to read the UPSC Essentials magazine for July 2025. Share your views and suggestions in the comment box or at
Indian Express
7 days ago
- Health
- Indian Express
How new ICMR vaccine gives new hope in fight against malaria
The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has announced a promising candidate vaccine for malaria, which it will now further develop, test and manufacture for commercial purposes in partnership with private companies. Known as AdFalciVax, the vaccine mainly targets two parts of Plasmodium falciparum, a pathogen that is the most common source of malaria in humans. In India, however, the disease is caused by Plasmodium vivax against which AdFalciVax is ineffective. Malaria is a parasitic infection transmitted by mosquitoes, typically causing symptoms such as fever, chills, night sweats, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhoea. In some cases, it can lead to severe complications such as seizures, fluid in the lungs, organ damage, and death. Having claimed millions of lives, malaria has been one of the deadliest diseases in human history. Currently, the disease kills about four lakh people annually, according to World Health Organization (WHO) figures. Malaria is most endemic in Africa — Nigeria, Congo, Tanzania, Mozambique, Niger, and Burkina Faso together account for more than half the yearly deaths. The disease is also present in India, although malaria deaths have sharply reduced in the country in recent years. According to the National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP), reported malaria deaths stood at 1,151in 1995, and came down to only 93 in 2020 and 83 in 2022. Note that these figures are much lower than the numbers provided annually by the WHO. The organisation's 'World Malaria Report' says there were 5,511 deaths due to the disease in India in 2022. This discrepancy is due to WHO providing estimates and NVBDCP providing only the number of confirmed deaths, which may not have been officially reported. To combat malaria, scientists have been working to develop a vaccine for decades but with limited success. Recently, two vaccines—RTS,S and R21—were approved for use, but their efficacy, at 75%, is quite low. That's why the announcement about ICMR's candidate vaccine has given new hope in the fight against the disease. AdFalciVax is a chimeric recombinant vaccine — a type of vaccine that uses different parts of the genes of a pathogen (in this case, Plasmodium) to create target proteins that trigger an immune response after being injected. AdFalciVax uses two types of target proteins to prevent the spread of infection in two different ways. n It uses the circumsporozoite protein (CSP) to prevent infection in the person who has been immunised. The CSP is produced during the sporozoite stage (when a parasite can infect a new host) and the liver stage (when a parasite enters liver cells, multiplies, and then infects red blood cells) of the parasite. Subhash Singh, project manager for development of the vaccine at the ICMR-Regional Medical Research Centre, Bhubaneswar, told The Indian Express: 'Any immune response generated against these stages protects the immunised person from getting the infection.' n The vaccine also uses the Pro6C protein, a fusion of parts of two different proteins — Pfs230 and Pfs48/45 — produced by Plasmodium falciparum. This protein prevents the spread of infection in the community. 'The Pro6C protein… stops further spread of the disease by disrupting the lifecycle of the pathogen. It disrupts the development of the parasite in the midgut of a mosquito preventing further transmission,' Singh said. Unlike AdFalciVax, RTS,S and R21 only use the CSP protein, and can prevent infection only in vaccinated persons. Unlike AdFalciVax, RTS,S and R21 vaccines also do not use full-length CSP proteins. This is why the ICMR's candidate vaccine is 'likely to produce a stronger immune response and better protect against infection,' according to Singh. Researchers have found that AdFalciVax provided more than 90% protection against infection in mice. The candidate vaccine has yet to undergo rigorous human trials, and the preliminary results have been obtained only through testing on animals. Studies have also suggested that AdFalciVax produces an immune response that may last longer than that produced by the other two vaccines. Singh said: 'One of the challenges of existing vaccines is that the immune response is short-lived. People need a fifth booster shot even after four primary doses. We do not know how this will work in humans, but preliminary indications show that three doses of the ICMR candidate vaccine produced robust protection against infection in mice for more than three months. This roughly translates to a decade in human life.' AdFalciVax also contains an adjuvant — a substance used in vaccines to boost the body's immune response against the targeted disease — called alum. Singh says the use of alum is beneficial as it does not pose a risk of causing chronic inflammation, unlike adjuvants such as AS01 and Matrix M, which are used in RTS,S and R21. Alum is also known to be reliable, and has been used in numerous vaccines used in childhood immunisation programs over the years. Another advantage is that alum in AdFalciVax can remain stable at room temperature for at least nine months, according to initial studies. This might make it possible to 'transport the vaccines without maintaining the cold chain,' Singh said. The ICMR wants to partner with a company that can further develop its candidate vaccine, carry out human clinical trials, and scale up for commercial production. Although the ICMR will share the technology of developing AdFalciVax with the chosen company, it will continue to hold the intellectual property rights. Any intellectual property rights generated during the collaboration will be held jointly by the ICMR and the company. The ICMR will also earn 2% royalty on any sales of the vaccine. Authors from both the company and the ICMR will be credited in any research papers generated, and all data will be jointly owned.
Indian Express
04-07-2025
- Health
- Indian Express
Trapped in terrain: how a range of factors complicate Gadchiroli's fight against malaria
During monsoon, flooding causes over 212 villages in Gadchiroli – a district known for extensive forests, bamboo, tendu leaves, and for its tribal population – to become isolated for three to four months, leading to a further cutting off of roads to about 500 villages, severely impacting healthcare access, which is critical to tackle the region's malaria infections. Despite contributing only about one per cent to Maharashtra's population, Gadchiroli, a region affected by Maoist insurgency, accounts for approximately 50 per cent of the state's malaria cases. It faces a significant malaria problem, consistently reporting an Annual Parasite Incidence (API) above 2. An API of 2 means there are 2 or more confirmed malaria cases per 1,000 population in a year. This year, over 2,060 malaria cases have been identified here and three deaths have been reported so far, said Avishyant Panda, District Collector, Gadchiroli. The district reports malaria deaths every year – 13 in 2022; 12 in 2023 and 14 in 2024. The year 2021 saw the most cases in the last five years – 12,326, though only eight deaths were reported that year. Over the last five years between 2019 and 2024, a total of 51 deaths have been reported, as per the data provided by the malaria task force. Starting April 1, this year, Gadchiroli launched a comprehensive malaria eradication plan. A Malaria Eradication Task Force was initiated under the Public Health Department and chaired by Dr Abhay Bang, a public health expert and the Founder and Director of Society for Education, Action and Research in Community Health (SEARCH). Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis also announced to allocate Rs 25 crore for the initiative through the Tribal Development Department. 'This year, the rain started in May. Usually, rain starts in mid-June. And so, small water collections have occurred in the forest everywhere. Hence, mosquito breeding has started much earlier. That is why the task force has cautioned the district administration that there is a likelihood of an early upsurge in malaria cases this year. And we have to be prepared to face a rise in cases this year on a war footing,' said Dr Bang. Terrain and other key challenges The district faces several geographical and environmental challenges – 76 per cent of Gadchiroli is covered by forests and hills, hindering development. Dense forests, rivers, and hilly terrain create ideal conditions for mosquito breeding, say sources. High transmission of Plasmodium falciparum (PF) – one of the two primary species of malaria parasites commonly found in India – is frequently observed, particularly in tribal blocks, and malaria demonstrates persistent and perennial transmission, with peaks occurring in July-August, according to the task force data. While Plasmodium falciparum is known to cause more severe and potentially fatal cases of malaria, Plasmodium vivax is generally considered milder. Panda told The Indian Express, 'The district is working on the availability of drugs and logistics for which we are specifically targeting three talukas that get cut off.' 'In malaria-positive cases, there has been a difficulty regarding whether to take blood smears. Every year, nearly 10 lakh blood smears have to be taken in the district. But really, microscopy of 10 lakh blood smears is a Herculean task. Then, a backlog develops. Hence, the task force has decided that all fever cases should be instantly examined by what is called RDT, Rapid Diagnostic Test. So, within 15 minutes, the result is available. And if it is positive for malaria, the patient is treated. So, every fever case must be tested by RDT as a regular practice,' informed Dr Bang. He added, 'There is an implementation committee to carry out this plan, under the chairmanship of the collector. So, this has not remained merely a health department programme. The collector, zilla parishad CEO, and the health departments are all involved, with the collector chairing it. The implementation would therefore involve various other sectors of the administration as well.' Socio-cultural factors There are other socio-demographic and cultural factors contributing to the issue. Ninety-seven per cent of the population lives in rural and tribal villages, which are often scattered and difficult to access. Locals often prefer traditional healers or pujaris for fever, leading to delayed malaria diagnosis and treatment. Risky practices such as outdoor sleeping and non-use of long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs) further increase the risk of malaria. Poor socio-economic conditions, low literacy, and lack of hygienic conditions are also contributing factors. 'We are trying to increase the testing efforts and routine surveillance. The RDK (Rapid Diagnostic Kit) method is being used for diagnosis in the field, and when a case is found positive, the first anti-malaria dose is administered. IEC (Information, Education and Communication) activities are also being carried out in Marathi and Madia languages,' Panda said. 'A school IEC programme is also being launched, with nodal teachers being appointed, even in ashram schools, because these are also used as shelter homes during floods. It is also being ensured that the school IEC programme benefits the parents as well,' Panda said. 'Some never reach institutions' Talking about factors associated with delay in treatments, Dr Bang said. 'There are several delays. There are various superstitions linked with fever in tribal areas, and people usually don't seek help immediately. They first go to the pujari. Then the pujari does his process, and so two–three days, sometimes even five days, are wasted there. From there on, most of the patients can actually be treated in the village itself by the ASHA workers (Accredited Social Health Activists) or the ANMs (Auxiliary Nurse Midwives).' 'But a small percentage, maybe 5 to 10 per cent, have more severe malaria and they need hospitalisation. So they are appropriately selected and referred to the hospital for treatment. There are delays that occur at every level. Besides, some people never reach institutions. And so certain measures have been decided on how we can avoid this,' Dr Bang said, adding that the task force also plans to seek pujaris' cooperation to tackle this issue. 'I recently held a meeting on anti-superstition practices with the police and revenue machinery. Here, malaria patients are often taken to pujaris. We have almost 2,000 pujaris in the district, so we have mapped them, and we want to start a programme where pujaris encourage people to go to medical facilities rather than treat them on their own. Deaths occur when medicines are not administered in time,' said Panda. Dr Bang adds, 'Of all the malaria deaths reported in Gadchiroli, nearly half of them are in children below 15 years of age. And world over, children are more vulnerable to malaria and to more serious forms of it.' Small villages, manpower shortage Three hundred villages lack Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs). There are also long-standing vacancies in vital manpower positions like Multi-Purpose Workers (MPWs), Auxiliary Nurse Midwives (ANMs), and technicians. 'The peculiarity of the Gadchiroli district is that, especially in the tribal areas, village sizes are very small. There are nearly 100 villages with a population of less than 100. So, for Gadchiroli, the ASHA norm has been relaxed by the Government of Maharashtra, and smaller villages are allowed to be included. So, an additional 191 ASHAs will be recruited for this need,' informed Dr Bang. He also informed that 200 positions for multi-purpose workers were filled recently. He added, 'Yet, nearly 100 villages remain where you can't imagine having an ASHA because the population includes hardly 10 to 15 homes. So there, we have decided that a resident in the village who is literate will be trained to use RDT and diagnose malaria.' Identifying villages that are more prone In 2024, 159 villages were classified as Category A (Annual Parasite Incidence (API)>50), indicating a very high malaria burden. Additionally, 357 villages were Category B (API 5-49.99), and 1,183 villages were Category C (API <4.99). Across six tribal blocks, 19 Primary Health Centres (PHCs) are classified as High Malaria Endemic with API>2, affecting 3.2 lakh people. Similarly, eight PHCs across six non-tribal blocks are High Endemic with an API >2, affecting 1.3 lakh people. This makes a total of 27 priority PHCs. Bhamragad, a tribal block in Gadchiroli which alone had over 174.3 API in 2021, contributes over 40 per cent of the cases in the district. Dr Supriyalakshmi Totiger, Deputy Director, Community Health Research at SEARCH, and a member of the Malaria Task Force in Gadchiroli told The Indian Express, 'Bhamragad has very thick central Indian forest. With that kind of ecosystem, you tend to find a lot of breeding sources easily available in the natural ecology, so removing mosquitoes and reducing mosquito density is difficult in such places. That is a major contributor to malaria in Bhamragad.' Taskforce sets 2027 target 'The last stage in malaria elimination is eliminating it in tribal regions. The task force identified 29 PHCs (Primary Health Centres) as high-risk areas in six tribal blocks and eight PHCs in non-tribal blocks. This covers around the population of 4.75 lakh, which is high risk. Hence, Bhamragad tops the list, followed by Etapalli and then Dhanora,' said Dr Totiger. 'One of the powerful strategies in tackling malaria, also recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO), is the use of LLINs, that is, long-lasting insecticide-treated bed nets. Under the Malaria Mukta Gadchiroli Abhiyaan, the task force will distribute 5 lakh LLINs, so that every family will have one mosquito net per person,' informed Dr Bang. Collector Panda added, 'For identified high-risk areas, we are conducting full-scale Indoor Residual Spraying and LLINs distribution. Fifty thousand LLINs have been procured and distributed so far.' The task force aims to achieve zero deaths due to malaria by 2027 and an API of less than one. The task force has also been supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Foundation for Disease Elimination and Control of India under Sun Pharma, Godrej Foundation, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), and the National Institute of Malaria Research (NIMR). 'The main season of malaria starts from July onwards. So, we have to wait and see what happens this year. It depends so much on the climate, rain, etc. Worldwide, malaria occurs cyclically. Every five or six years, you get an upsurge. The last upsurge was in 2021. So, one would expect, as a part of the natural cycle, another upsurge in 2026 or 2027,' Dr Bang said.
The Hindu
17-06-2025
- Health
- The Hindu
34 malaria cases recorded in Ernakulam over past two months
Ernakulam has reported over 30 confirmed cases of malaria since April 1, 2025. The total number of confirmed cases as on June 13 was 34. Of these, 21 cases were reported between May 1 and June 13. In April, as many as 13 confirmed cases were reported from various parts of the district, according to official data available with the Department of Health. A majority of them were cases of indigenous malaria caused by Plasmodium vivax, considered less dangerous than the Plasmodium falciparum species. Most cases were imported (malaria introduced into the State through inter-State travel) or introduced from other States, according to the district health authorities. The areas that reported confirmed cases between April 1 and June 13 included Alangad, Keezhmad, Munambam, Parakadavu, Mazhuvannoor, Edathala, Vazhakulam, Manjapra, Kalamassery, Vengoor, Ezhikkara, Kalamassery, Thripunitura, Kaloorkad, Kadavanthra, Koonamavu, Kothamangalam, Maradi, Pandappilli, Vennala, Cheurvattoor, and Puthrika. Stating that Kerala is a low-prevalence area for malaria, Dr. Rajeev Jayadevan, convener, Research Cell of the Indian Medical Association, Kerala, pointed out that malaria was being reported in the State primarily due to imported disease. 'For instance, migrant workers from other parts of India, where malaria is endemic, come to Kerala in search of work. In addition, international travellers from Africa also bring cases of malaria. As it is not a common cause of fever in the region, the diagnosis can be missed if healthcare professionals are not specifically looking for it,' he said. He said malaria must be suspected if the patient profile fits that of malaria, for instance, with travel history and clinical features such as fever, anaemia and jaundice. 'Testing will identify new pockets and help limit the spread. As mosquitoes spread the disease, vector control measures need to be carried out,' he said. Dr. Ashadevi, District Medical Officer, said the cases had been mostly reported from areas that had significant presence of inter-State workers. 'We have increased the number of screening camps in such areas as part of the preventive measures initiated. Most of those diagnosed with the disease were asymptomatic,' she said.
Time of India
20-05-2025
- Health
- Time of India
46 malaria fatalities since 2020: Officials
Aizawl: In Mizoram, malaria has resulted in 46 fatalities over the past five years since 2020. However, among the 873 cases identified during January - March this year, no deaths were reported, officials of state health department's National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP) said on Tuesday. Last year's data revealed that out of 3,07,468 blood samples analysed, 16,899 individuals tested positive for malaria, with seven fatalities. The cases comprised 8,950 Plasmodium falciparum (Pf) infections and 7,949 Plasmodium vivax (Pv) infections. In 2024, Lawngtlai district in South Mizoram, which shares borders with Myanmar and Bangladesh, recorded the highest malaria occurrence with 8,067 cases and five deaths. The district also registered the highest annual parasite incidence (API) at 56.70 cases per 1,000 population and led in test positivity rate (TPR) at 16.60 per 100 tests. Following Lawngtlai are Lunglei and Mamit districts, both adjacent to Bangladesh, reporting 3,775 and 3,299 cases respectively, with one death in Mamit. Lunglei recorded an API of 21.63, while Mamit showed 32.44. Siaha district, bordering Myanmar, ranked fourth with 1,607 cases during the same period. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like [Click Here] 2025 Best Luxury Hotel Prices Expertinspector Learn More Undo From 2020 to 2024, the total number of malaria cases reached 59,119, with 46 deaths. The highest mortality was recorded in 2023 with 13 deaths, followed by 10 deaths each in 2021 and 2022. The year 2020 saw six fatalities, while seven deaths occurred during the previous year.
