Importance of Malaria Clinical Trial - Essay Example

? Biology: Malaria. of the institute: Clinical trial can be defined as a controlled test of any new drug or any innovative invasive medical device to be used by human beings. A clinical trial follows a well detailed plan and protocol. For example in United States, the clinical trial is generally conducted following the FDA directions and, it cannot be made available for clinical use unless they endorse it. Currently malaria clinical trial is very essential due to the problems and dangerousness of malaria amongst people (Isle, 2001). For this reason, I will not hesitate to be part of those who participate in a current clinical trial. This is because by being part of those who take the clinical trial I will not only be playing an active role in my own health care but also be accessing new treatments and be of great help to others who are in a desperate need of malaria medication as a I contribute to this medical research. In actual fact, Malaria is still the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in many parts of the world and more especially in sub-Saharan Africa. Therefore, it is an indication that the tools available for malaria control are neither adequate nor good enough for the prevention. Therefore, participating in malaria clinical trial will help in finding a permanent solution for this disease as together with other researchers we try to find curative and preventive drugs and vaccines for malaria. Additionally, by getting involved in malaria clinical trial I will be able to have a chance to propagate and advocate a malaria vaccine and make it available for routine use. Moreover, I will be able to offer my own ideas and notions about this terrible disease as well as get to know qualitative and quantitative methods for data collection purposes especially in Africa. This will help to know how endemic is this disease and also facilitate in finding a malaria vaccine which will be more efficacious than the malaria drug which has been used from time immemorial as a malaria control tool. To be precise it is clearly known that malaria is a tropical disease and is spread by female Anopheles mosquitos which are infected by a plasmodium parasite. Therefore, this plasmodium falcipavum malaria causes millions of clinical episodes globally but mostly endemic in sub-Saharan Africa. Malaria involves diseases such as shaking chills and high fevers among others. In countries like Ghana malaria claims so many lives of children and in 2008 only there were numerous deaths of children under the age of twelve years. Malaria can leads to cerebral malaria and anemia if not well controlled (Isle, 2001). Many strategies and measures have been taken to combat malaria; rapid diagnosis, treatment, intermittent preventive treatment especially given to pregnant women, use of sulphadoxine- pyrimethamine insecticide treated nets and introduction of sprays and mosquito repellant lotions. All these have been known to reduce morbidity and mortality, but this does not mean that there are no challenges. For instance, if mosquito nets are not used effectively people will still continue to die. For example, the nets may have a hole and used badly, some of the therapies are also facing resistance in some countries. These include Artemisinin combination therapy (ACT) which is facing challenges of resistance in Thailand especially in Cambodian border. Therefore, going back to research more on how to eradicate malaria is very essential. Hence my participation in a clinical trial will not be propagation for new effective and appropriate drugs but to try and convince the researchers to focus on a vaccine and not a drug. Truly, vaccine has worked effectively for so many years’ records, and history has it that the vaccine has a great ability to protect humanity from diseases. Precisely, a vaccine has helped so much in combating smallpox, fighting polio and making the measles and yellow fever very rare (Dziedizc, 2010).. Therefore, vaccine can do so much more for public health, and I have a great conviction that malaria vaccines will have a significant mark in the eradication of malaria. According to research Glaxo SmithKline has developed a pre-erythrocytes malaria vaccine. This is done under the sponsorship of Program for Appropriate Technology in Malaria vaccine initiative (Dziedizc, 2010). Therefore, given an opportunity to participate in malaria clinical trial will be an honor. This is because I will be able to fully engage with great researchers as I hear their views and perspective about the like of these vaccines. Additionally, RTS malaria vaccine which is said to be very safe for infants and young children needs further insights and my knowledge about it will help so much not only for my own sake but also to enlighten the human population. Well some people may tend to ask if my main aim of participating in a clinical test is just to learn more about vaccination that has already been found and put to practice. Yes, this will be of great importance to me and to other people because knowledge about vaccination goes beyond just knowing the definition. Therefore, vaccination helps to tackle the problem before it even exists rather than at its first sight like the drug. Additionally, unlike the malaria drug vaccination will help to eradicate malaria in a more radical manner as infants and young children will be fully prevented from contacting the disease even in the endemic areas. By so doing, the clinical trial will not only be finding a solution to something that yet to come but one that is already stressing people in a very dynamic manner. Additionally, the clinical trial will help me to clear the negative perception that people have about preventing malaria through vaccination. Especially for those who are for malaria vaccines I will be able to encourage them and those who are skeptical I will be able to convince them. Facts have it that malaria is a sickness that disturbs humanity a great deal therefore, vaccination at infant level will help a lot. Mosquitoes are tiny insects that fly around, and it is hard to detect when they will attack so if there is vaccination at an early stage then there is a sure hope that malaria will be reduced drastically. In the school environment, children and student are taught so much of the causes of malaria. Some of these cause points to how clean the cleanliness of the environment surrounding us. However, the effectiveness of these lessons has not yielded so many fruits because in the real sense mosquitoes can be everywhere even in a very clean place (Sinha, 2005). Therefore, it is time to move beyond these mere facts and engage more on other things that will help humanity to fully be protected against malaria. The search for the malaria solution has been ongoing and to clinical trials did not start yesterday. Therefore, being part of those in the clinical trial will be of great help for a great slogan states that if a person is not part of a problem then he/she must be part of the solution. Therefore, the clinical trial participation will help to find a permanent solution for malaria disease because it will not only help us who are living today but also the generations to come. Nevertheless, it should be noted that before us there others who have been part of these clinical trials and yet they have not been able to combat malaria. Nonetheless, their failure is the starting point to enlighten other researchers. Therefore, even if my participation will not yield much at least I will be glad I participated to at least find a solution. Hence, positive attitude will do great while in search for a Malaria solution. In conclusion, Malaria is not a disease just to look at and hope for the best. No! Malaria is a great call for everyone who loves humanity to start acting now. Therefore, I for the love of the human race I would be gland to participate in a clinical trial. Most importantly, I will not only be there to work on the already available drugs but mostly focus on a vaccine for I strongly believe that a Malaria vaccine will be more efficacious than a drug. However, my opinions and perspectives will not stand if I will not be able to convince others to see things my way or rather explain why they go for one option and not the other. Malaria has caused a lot of pain and regrets and especially in sub-Saharan Africa therefore, clinical trial will help to determine what has worked or not worked. By so doing, it will be a great opportunity to help in the total eradication of this disease if not just a reduction. References: Isle, M. (2001). Malaria. New York: Rosen Pub. Group. Sinha, A. K. (2005). Malaria. New Delhi: APH Publishing. Dziedizc, N. G. (2010). Malaria. Detroit: Greenhaven Press. Read More