Seattle Times examines how Gates Foundation's goal to eradicate malaria is affecting research

Sep 14 2010

The Seattle Times examines how the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's goal to eradicate malaria is shaping aspects of global research.

After co-founders Bill and Melinda Gates issued a call for global malaria eradication in 2007, the foundation put a lot of emphasis on the development of a "vaccine that would prevent mosquitoes from spreading the disease. People who are inoculated could still get malaria, but mosquitoes that bite them would not be able to infect anyone else," the newspaper writes. "Another tool sought is a pill that would not only cure malaria but also block its spread. And since global eradication means all malaria would be wiped out, more attention is going to the form of the disease common in Asia and South America — which can hide in the body and cause recurring bouts of fever."

A group of foundation-funded scientists, assembled to create a malaria eradication research plan, are expected to release their findings soon, the Seattle Times writes.

The article includes reaction to the Gates Foundation's research priorities from scientists who hold a variety of views on its strategy. It also looks at the different types of malarial vaccine approaches (Doughton, 9/9).