Malaria kills around 435,000 people every year, the vast majority of them children under five in the very poorest parts of Africa. If there was ever a group deserving of international assistance, this is it. Coinciding with World Malaria Day, Malawi this week launched the first large-scale immunisation programme. Soon, Kenya and Ghana will follow suit. As Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, head of the World Health Organisation (WHO), said: "The malaria vaccine has the potential to save tens of thousands of children's lives." This is a historic moment. Quite apart from the thousands of deaths it will prevent, the vaccine is an extraordinary scientific accomplishment, given that it is far harder to immunise against a parasite, such as malaria, than a bacterium or a virus. It also comes at a pivotal moment, when funding for malaria action has plateaued and mosquitoes are becoming increasingly resistant to insecticides. By some estimates, the illness claims the life of one child every two minutes. At last, the world is taking the fight to malaria.
To be clear, this is not a silver bullet. The vaccine is only 40 per cent effective, although it will reduce the severity of symptoms for those unfortunate enough to contract the disease. As a result, authorities must continue to roll out cheap but effective preventative measures, such as mosquito nets. Similarly, there are practical concerns, since the vaccine requires monthly doses for three months and another single dose after 18 months. Administering it must therefore go hand in hand with a public education campaign.
Nevertheless, we should celebrate the collaborative effort between the WHO, local health ministries and GSK, the vaccine's developer and manufacturer. The UAE, for its part, has also long been at the forefront of efforts to counter malaria. Co-ordinated action such as this sets a vital precedent for fighting treatable diseases across the developing world. Beginning this week, 360,000 children will be immunised against one of the globe's biggest killers. It is, quite simply, about time.
Company%20Profile
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Power: 240hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 390Nm at 3,000rpm
Transmission: eight-speed auto
Price: from Dh122,745
On sale: now
Name: Brendalle Belaza
From: Crossing Rubber, Philippines
Arrived in the UAE: 2007
Favourite place in Abu Dhabi: NYUAD campus
Favourite photography style: Street photography
Favourite book: Harry Potter
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FINAL RESULT
Sharjah Wanderers 20 Dubai Tigers 25 (After extra-time)
Wanderers
Tries: Gormley, Penalty
cons: Flaherty
Pens: Flaherty 2
Tigers
Tries: O’Donnell, Gibbons, Kelly
Cons: Caldwell 2
Pens: Caldwell, Cross
Museum of the Future in numbers
- 78 metres is the height of the museum
- 30,000 square metres is its total area
- 17,000 square metres is the length of the stainless steel facade
- 14 kilometres is the length of LED lights used on the facade
- 1,024 individual pieces make up the exterior
- 7 floors in all, with one for administrative offices
- 2,400 diagonally intersecting steel members frame the torus shape
- 100 species of trees and plants dot the gardens
- Dh145 is the price of a ticket
Confirmed%20bouts%20(more%20to%20be%20added)
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Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha
Starring: Ajay Devgn, Tabu, Shantanu Maheshwari, Jimmy Shergill, Saiee Manjrekar
Director: Neeraj Pandey
Rating: 2.5/5
BORDERLANDS
Starring: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jamie Lee Curtis
Director: Eli Roth
Rating: 0/5
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