Letters to the Editor: Fighting malaria

Letters to the Editor: Fighting malaria

Malaria is a contagious disease known to the general public and is a major public health problem.

Fighting malaria

Malaria is a contagious disease known to the general public and is a major public health problem. There is no place in the world where malaria does not cause infection in humans or any other animals. In general, the discussion of malaria causes a kind of panic in the human mind. However, I would like to write a little about malaria in the following way— malaria is a parasitic disease that is spread by various parasites, but in our country, two types of parasites usually spread malaria in the human body. These are Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium falciparum. Medical science says that when a female Anopheles mosquito bites a man, the germ enters the body's circulatory system through its saliva. The malaria virus then builds up in the liver, multiplies and reproduces, causing symptoms such as fever or headache that can lead to death. The World Health Organization (WHO) recently estimated that malaria kills between ten and thirty million people worldwide each year. And the number of people infected with malaria worldwide every year is two hundred million. Between eighty per cent and ninety per cent of malaria deaths occur in rural areas of sub-Saharan Africa. The disease is most prevalent in tropical and subtropical regions around the equator. Malaria is particularly prevalent in most parts of sub-Saharan Africa and Asia. After two weeks of being bitten by an infected mosquito, malaria develops in the human body, which is known as the incubation period in medical terms. Medical science has been fighting malaria for more than three and a half decades.

In 1820, French scientists showed that the bark of the Cinchona tree contained a substance called quinine, which can cure malaria. Since then, medical science has been waging an all-out war against malaria, starting with chloroquine in various malaria-prone countries of the world. Although the fight against malaria continues with the use of various modern medical devices, the question of the effectiveness and efficacy of all these devices and medicines against malaria remains unresolved. Rather, the death rate from malaria has doubled or tripled. Gradually, with the help of medical science and the use of modern and advanced antibiotics, there has been considerable success in killing parasites in the blood. After a long and complex journey, medical science has finally invented a cure for the deadly mosquito-borne disease, the malaria vaccine. The vaccine, called Mosquirix (trade name), is not just a first for malaria— it's the first developed for any parasitic disease. However, some countries around the world have been experimenting with malaria vaccines for a long time. But it is the first country in the world to officially launch a malaria vaccine. The World Health Organization (WHO) officially approved the world's first malaria vaccine on Wednesday the 6th of this month. At the same time, the WHO approved the vaccine for commercial use in malaria-prone areas. The world's first malaria vaccine has been announced after recognition and official approval. This vaccine will be administered primarily to all children across the African continent. Statistics show that the risk of death from malaria in India, which was almost twenty years ago today, has now been greatly reduced. Among the countries in Southeast Asia, India has had the most success in its malaria eradication programme. Medical scientists say the world's first malaria vaccine was discovered in 1987. However, despite the discovery of the vaccine, the World Health Organization (WHO) withheld both its commercial use and its approval due to its practical complexity. However, after many years (34) of human society, the life-giving vaccine was obtained to get rid of malaria.

Therefore, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all these great medical scientists. Hopefully, those great medical scientists who invented the malaria vaccine will shine in the global context. In particular, Dr Joe Cohen spent 30 years researching the invention of the malaria vaccine Mosquirix (RTS, S), of course.

Heramba Nath,

Hindumaijali, Kamrup.

When will Assam become self-reliant?

I am a proud Assamese and feel blessed to be born in this state that abounds in natural beauty. The evergreen tea gardens, the mighty Mahabahu, the oil and natural gas reserves, the xatras, our cultural heritage... the list is endless.

But then we always have to be dependent on outer sources.

The failing electrical scenario as is seen presents a sad phase, though, during Durga Puja, the situation had been pretty normal.

I am a non-technical person but would surely love to see our state become self-reliant in those fields that are gifted by God to us.

White tea, if produced from our tea gardens, can revolutionize the tea sector, we may be able to sell power to needy states if the river power can be harnessed, the oil and natural gas reserves can be utilized to generate maximum profits for the state etc., and tourism can boost the revenue.

That way, our state can play a major role in the development on a par with other states.

The think tanks can perhaps steer their wheel in a different direction and look at things from a different angle.

Purabi Pathak Barua,

Guwahati

Every girl child must be digitally empowered

This year the first medal was won by a female athlete for India in Tokyo Olympics and she is from Manipur. Four years back India got two medals in the Olympics and both were won by female athletes. We are aware that women and girls represent half of the world's population and, therefore, also half of its potential. The recent pandemic has brought a digital divide amongst many in the world. The digital divide could be seen in rural areas more than urban areas due to gadgets and connectivity and also purchasing powers.

The global internet user gender gap is growing, from 11 per cent in 2013 to 17 per cent in 2019, and widest in the world's least developed countries at 43 per cent. 2.2 billion people below the age of 25 do not have internet access at home, with girls more likely to be cut off. Globally, the percentage of females among Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) graduates is below 15 per cent in over two-thirds of countries. And in middle and higher-income countries, only 14 per cent of girls who were top performers in science or mathematics expected to work in science and engineering compared to 26 per cent of top-performing boys. Nearly 1 in 4 girls aged 15–19 globally are not in education, employment or training, compared to 1 in 10 boys.

The pandemic has accelerated digital platforms for learning, earning and connecting, while also highlighting girls' diverse digital realities. The gender digital divide in connectivity, devices and use, skills and jobs are real. It is an inequity and exclusion gap across geographies and generations that is our challenge to address if the digital revolution is to be for all, with all, by all. We must ensure that no girl child is left out from digital learning. In case there is any digital divide then it is our foremost responsibility to bridge the gap and ensure their participation in digital learning.

There is no doubt that girls know their digital realities and the solutions they need to excel on their diverse pathways as technologists for freedom of expression, joy, and boundless potential. Let's intensify the diversity of these tech trailblazers while simultaneously widening the pathways so that every girl, this generation of girls – regardless of race, gender, language, ability, economic status and geographic origin – lives their full potential.

In 1995 at the World Conference on Women in Beijing, countries unanimously adopted the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action – the most progressive blueprint ever for advancing the rights of not only women but girls. The Beijing Declaration is the first to specifically call out girls' rights. On December 19, 2011, the United Nations General Assembly adopted Resolution 66/170 to declare October 11 as the International Day of the Girl Child, to recognize girls' rights and the unique challenges girls face around the world. The International Day of the Girl Child focuses attention on the need to address the challenges girls face and to promote girls' empowerment and the fulfilment of their human rights.

António Guterres, the Secretary-General of the United Nations in his message on the occasion said that "today's girls are part of a digital generation. It is our responsibility to join with them in all their diversity, amplify their power and solutions as digital change-makers, and address the obstacles they face in the digital space." He also said that "the strength, health and empowerment of the world's girls is a matter for every single day of the year. The International Day of the Girl is an opportunity to recommit to this global imperative."

Adolescent girls have the right to a safe, educated, and healthy life, not only during these critical formative years but also as they mature into women. If effectively supported during the adolescent years, girls have the potential to change the world – both as the empowered girls of today and as of tomorrow's workers, mothers, entrepreneurs, mentors, household heads, and political leaders. Achieving gender equality and women's empowerment is integral to all Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). We must empower our girl children from all perspectives and in return, they shall empower all of us by taking up challenges in future. Together we can make a difference and let us join hands to bring positive social transformation by empowering all girl children.

Ranjan K Baruah,

Ganeshguri, Guwahati.

Goddesses on Tezpur streets

Tezpur seems to be slowly going to lose its identity on cleanliness. Ganeshghat is one of the prime tourist attractions. Throwing of many pollutants, immersions of the idol will lead Ganeshghat to a pathetic condition. The Sonitpur district administration is trying to make Tezpur more attractive. But sometimes it is shown that many tourists spots like Ganeshghat, Jahajghat are polluted. Idol worshipping is a very important part of Hinduism. In different parts of India during any puja people worship their gods through the installation of idols. But after these grand celebrations, we can see across India that the idols are lying on the streets in a very unwanted condition. Also on the streets of Tezpur near Ganeshghat, Jahajghat the idols of different gods are scattered in a pathetic way being the cause of bad impacts on the soil or environment. Tezpur emerged as the second cleanest city among the cities of the NE zone in the Swachh Sarvekshan 2020. But Tezpur is on the way to lose its past glory on cleanliness for untoward behaviour of some of the citizens towards the environment of the locality bringing worst effect on the surroundings of our beautiful and clean Tezpur.

Aditya Ankur Nath,

Tezpur

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