Essays on Artemisinin

The single-celled parasite, Plasmodium falciparum, causes malaria, was responsible for 214 million cases and 438,000 deaths globally in 2015, of which 88% of cases and 90% of deaths occurred in sub-Saharan Africa. The morphology of P. falciparum is characterized by numerous rings (young trophozoites) and the absence of mature trophozoites and schizonts. In a P. falciparum blood smear, multiple infected erythrocytes appear more often than in other species and the rings of the parasite in the blood smear tend to be smaller than other species. Distinctive crescent-shaped gametocytes appear late in the infection. In vitro cultivation of P. ...

Background information

Malaria, a mosquito borne transmissible disease of both human beings and some animals is a pertinent disease in the 21st century which accounts for more than 650, 000 deaths annually (WHO, 1147). The prevalence of malaria is highest in the tropical and subtropical regions. Adverse effects of the disease is an equally major public health issue that affects maternal and child health. In the developing countries, malaria is a leading cause of maternal and child health. Consequentially, it is a pertinent public health disease. This manuscript offers a succinct analysis of the disease while appraising its causative agents, life ...

Introduction

Malaria is a key public health predicament and cause of much distress and untimely death in the poorer areas of tropical Africa, Asia and Latin America. In many endemic areas it is becoming increasingly complex to control because of the resistance of the parasite to anti- malarial drugs and the failure of vector control measures. Malaria is mainly caused by plasmodium species of the Coccidia family of Parasites. The most pathogenic species of the plasmodium species is plasmodium falciparum which is responsible for almost 90% of malarial infections in the world. The Coccidia are intracellular parasites that reproduce asexually by a ...