New concerns about fighting malaria discussed on the Diane Rehm radio show

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New Concerns About Fighting Malaria

Guests on the Diane Rehm public radio show discuss malaria. There are an estimated 200 million cases of malaria worldwide each year, and around 600,000 deaths. But the last 15 years represent a success story in the fight against the disease: Increased investment in treatment and prevention have cut the death rate nearly in half. Now, researchers warn that resistance to the primary drug used to treat malaria is spreading. A new study has detected a resistant strain in Myanmar near the Indian border, raising concerns that resistance could soon extend its hold to sub-Saharan Africa, where more than 90 percent of malaria deaths occur. Diane and her guests discuss new concerns about combating malaria worldwide.

Guests:

• Dr. Alan Magill director of the Malaria Program at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
• Laurie Garrett senior fellow for global health at the Council on Foreign Relations, USA
• Dr. William Moss professor of epidemiology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health; co-director of the Southern Africa International Center of Excellence for Malaria Research
• Dr. Lawrence Barat senior technical advisor to the President’s Malaria Initiative at USAID
• Jason Beaubien global health and development correspondent for NPR (National Public Radio, USA)