giftsofhealth.org/ritam

1. The 5th MIM Pan-African Malaria Conference, 2-6 November 2009

Kenyatta International Conference Centre, Nairobi, Kenya

This is the most important global malaria conference. For general information on the conference see: www.mimalaria.org/pamc

RITAM is organising a symposium within this conference, to be held on 2nd November 2009, 10.45 – 13.15, on -Priorities for future research on traditional medicines and malaria-. If you are attending the MIM conference please be sure to come to our symposium! We will identify and discuss priorities for future work, and produce recommendations to be fed back to the EU, which hopefully may serve as suggestions for future calls for proposals. In particular we will discuss possible research on plant-based prophylactics for malaria; the use of Artemisia annua in herbal preparations; collaboration with traditional healers for the management of severe malaria; and development of herbal medicines for use in national malarial control programmes. Speakers will talk for about 10 minutes, which will allow plenty of time for interaction and participative development of recommendations.

Prof Gerry Bodeker, Oxford University, UK and Chair, RITAM.

Plants for prophylaxis? Directions for future research

Prof Ahmed Hassanali, ICIPE, Nairobi, Kenya

Research priorities on local plants for malaria vector control

Rosalia Oyweka, Anamed, Kisumu, Kenya

Local use of Artemisia annua for the treatment of malaria: experiences and challenges

Dr Dirk Rezelman, Chair of the Equator Foundation, The Netherlands

COMBAT: COMBined Artemisia Therapy for the treatment of malaria

Mrs Gemma Burford, Founder, Aang Serian, Arusha, Tanzania

Involving school students in ethnobotanical research

Dr Moussa Dicko, Departement de Medecine Traditionnelle, Bamako, Mali

Traditional medicines and severe malaria in Mali

Dr Merlin Willcox, RITAM and Antenna Technologies

Development of a traditional antimalarial for use in malaria control programmes: Argemone mexicana in Mali

Perspectives of a malaria expert

Professor Ogobara Doumbo, MRTC, Bamako, Mali

2. Recent Publications of Interest

The following are recent publications by RITAM members:

N. Cachet, F. Hoakwie, S. Bertani, G. Bourdy, E. Deharo, D. Stien, E. Houel, H. Gornitzka, J. Fillaux, S. Chevalley, A. Valentin, and V. Jullian (2009). Antimalarial Activity of Simalikalactone E, a New Quassinoid from Quassia amara L. (Simaroubaceae). ANTIMICROBIAL AGENTS AND CHEMOTHERAPY, 53(10): 4393-4398.

Bertrand Graz, Merlin L. Willcox, Chiaka Diakite, Jacques Falquet, Florent Dackuo, Oumar Sidibe, Sergio Giani, Drissa Diallo (in press). Argemone mexicana decoction versus artesunate-amodiaquine for the management of malaria in Mali: policy and public-health implications. Trans Roy Soc Trop Med Hyg.
In Press, Corrected Proof, Available online 5 September 2009.

S. Lapenna, M.C. Bergonzi, F.F. Vincieri, A.R. Bilia. Comparative analysis of antimalarial principles in Artemisia annua L. herbal drugs from East Africa Nat. Prod. Commun (2008) 3 , 2003-2006.

These are other publications of interest:

Medicinal Plants in Conservation and Development. A report from Plantlife, available online at:

http://www.plantlife.org.uk/international/plantlife-med-plants.htm – click on the link for -new report published-.

This includes interesting information about a project in Uganda for conservation of antimalarial plants. Further information on this project is also available on the website at: http://www.plantlife.org.uk/international/plantlife-med-plants-projects-allachy-Uganda.htm

Angel Dillip et al. (2009). Socio-cultural factors explaining timely and appropriate use of health facilities for degedege in south-eastern Tanzania. Malaria Journal 8:144 doi:10.1186/1475-2875-8-144

“Artemisia annua, Artemisinin, ACTs and Malaria Control in Africa: The Interplay of Tradition, Science and Public Policy” has been posted on the Medicines for Malaria Venture website under “Artemisinin: Reports and Publications” www.mmv.org/article.php3?id_article=461

3. New Members:

We welcome the following new members who have joined since the last newsletter:

Prof Ana Rita Bilia, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Florence, Italy. Has worked on constituents of Artemisia annua from different origins, the analyses of A. annua plants at different development stages and of different extracts including infusions and decoctions.

Dr Verena Brand, Postdoctoral Fellow at the Structural Genomics Consortium Toronto, Canada.

Mr. Soniran Olajoju Temidayo, Teacher and Post graduate student, University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Nigeria

With best wishes,

Merlin Willcox