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RITAM Newsletter No 50 March 2010
Dear Colleagues,
1. RITAM celebrates its 10th birthday
RITAM held its inaugural conference in Moshi, Tanzania, in December 1999. We are now 10 years old! Since the initial inauguration we have received no external funding, so it is a great tribute to the members of RITAM that we have kept going and achieved so much.
Our achievements over the last 10 years include:
- Writing systematic reviews of the existing literature on herbal antimalarials and plants for vector control
- Producing guidelines for studies on herbal antimalarials
- Publication of “Traditional Medicinal Plants and Malaria”
- Many successful partnerships and collaborations
We would like to thank all RITAM members for their continued support and input.
2. RITAM subscriptions
In order to keep going sustainably, RITAM does need to raise some funds to cover costs such as the website (for which payment is now overdue). Our bank account is now completely empty. Until now membership of RITAM has been free to all. We are committed to maintain free membership for members from developing countries and for those on low incomes. However we would like to invite members from developed countries, and those on sufficient incomes, to contribute a subscription fee. We suggest initially an amount of £20 / 25 Euros per year, but feel free to give more or less according to your situation. If you are a UK taxpayer you can give by giftaid. We are in the process of setting up a website for donating online, and will update you when this is ready. Meanwhile members in the UK can pay by cheque payable to “GIFTS of Health Malaria conference”.
3. "The Killing Season" Screening, Weds 10th March, 7.30pm
Mark Honigsbaum, author of “The Fever Trail” has recently produced a new film about ACTs and artemisinin called “The Killing Season”. It is being screened at Worcester College Oxford (Lecture room B) at 7.30pm on Weds 10th March. You can watch the trailer on Youtube at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4eKCNDEb4vQ
In theory, malaria is easily treated with ACTs. But in Uganda as in other parts of Africa and Asia the drugs are not getting to hospitals and clinics in time, resulting in scores of needless deaths. Focussing on the humanitarian crisis in Madi Opei, a former rebel stronghold in northern Uganda, 'The Killing Season' follows the head of the Médecins Sans Frontières mission to Uganda as he investigates the countrywide stockouts of ACTs. Mark Honigsbaum is a journalist and author specializing in the history and science of infectious disease. The Killing Season is a 45-minute feature produced by Uproar Productions.
4. Workshop on Artemisia annua in Oxford, 13th March
Green Templeton College at the University of Oxford is hosting a one-day workshop on Saturday 13th March on Artemisia annua for the treatment of malaria, organised by Dr Elisabeth Hsu (Reader in Medical Anthropology) together with Dr Merlin Willcox (RITAM) and Dr Keith Lindsey (Anamed). We will review the state of current research and discuss implications for NGO programmes on Artemisia annua.
Attendance is free of charge as catering has kindly been sponsored by the Department of Primary Health Care at the University of Oxford. However if you wish to attend please reserve a place by contacting merlinwillcox@doctors.org.uk
5. Liverpool Workshop, 18th March
Anamed in collaboration with RITAM is also holding a workshop for students of the Diploma in Tropical Medicine and Hygiene at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine on Thursday 18th March, at 4-7pm.
6. Conference on Artemisia annua in Rome, 23rd April
ICEI (http://www.icei.info/) is organising a one-day conference in Rome on “Fighting malaria in Africa and Artemisia annua L. infusion”, on 23rd April.
7. International Society of Ethnopharmacology (ISE) meeting, 20-25 Sept.
RITAM chairman Gerry Bodeker will chair a session on “Global Health and Ethnopharmacology” at this international conference in Albacete, Spain. For more information see www.ISE2010.org
8.Report from the 5th MIM Pan-African Malaria Conference, 2-6 Nov 2009
Many RITAM members old and new attended this conference which had over 1000 delegates, at the Kenyatta International Conference Centre, Nairobi, Kenya
RITAM organised a symposium on “Priorities for future research on traditional medicines and malaria” which was attended by over 60 delegates. Prof Gerry Bodeker opened the symposium with a talk about plants for prophylaxis of malaria. He spoke about projects in India organised by the Foundation for Revitalisation of Local Health Traditions (http://www.frlht.org/ ). Dr Prakash of FRLHT followed up with more details about their research on Ayurvedic remedies for the prevention of malaria.
There followed two presentations on Artemisia annua. Mrs Rosalia Oyweka, a project partner of Anamed in Kisumu, Kenya, presented her grassroots experiences of the Local use of Artemisia annua for the treatment of malaria, and where she saw the needs for research to answer practical questions about the cultivation of the plant. Dr Dirk Rezelman, Chair of the Equator Foundation, presented his latest research on the pharmacokinetics of an ethanolic extract of Artemisia annua suspended in peanut oil (http://artemisia-for-all.org/ ). This has much better bioavailability than even pure artemsinin.
Mrs Gemma Burford, founder of Aang Serian in Tanzania, spoke about her projects involving school students in ethnobotanical research, through training them in basic anthropological methods. Dr Merlin Willcox briefly presented a scoring system devised by RITAM members for the prioritisation of antimalarial plants for future research according to frequency and quality of citation in the ethnobotanical literature, and the results of any published pharmacological studies.
Dr Moussa Dicko, from the Département of Traditional Medicine in, Bamako, Mali, presented a study on prior use of Traditional medicines by patients with severe malaria in Mali, showing that this had no adverse effect on outcomes. Dr Merlin Willcox then presented a summary of a project to develop a traditional antimalarial for use in malaria control programmes: Argemone mexicana in Mali.
We were privileged to have as our final speaker Professor Ogobara Doumbo (Director of MRTC, Bamako, Mali). He presented his perspectives as a malaria expert and as the son of a traditional healer. He recommended better integration of traditional healers in the health system, and better communication with healers. He also recommended that Western medicine should learn from the ethical approach of traditional healers.
We then held three small groups to discuss priorities for future research on preclinical studies, clinical studies, and prevention of malaria. These groups all made recommendations which are in the attached document.
Throughout the conference there were several presentations relevant to traditional medicine, and there were 20 posters on herbal antimalarials. Most reported on studies of herbal extracts in vitro and in vivo. However there were also four clinical trials and three posters on Artemisia annua.
On the final day RITAM members were among those invited to a joint EU / TDR / ANDi workshop on “Improved Tools for the Elimination of Malaria in Africa: Research for New Drugs and Innovative Diagnostics”. Part of the discussion centred around approaches to traditional medicines for malaria, and whether they should be developed as phytomedicines, natural products or both. RITAM provided a written response to the consultation which was signed by 31 members from 10 African and 6 European countries. The final consensus document prepared by the organisers concluded that “A clearly defined process for traditional medicines and natural products research is urgently needed if this discipline is to advance and result in products of acceptable quality, efficacy and toxicity profiles. … It is important that such medicines are given the same scrutiny as any other pharmaceutical to ensure the protection of patients from any major adverse event and also to ensure the benefits from optimal efficacy. Concerted efforts should also be made to evaluate and develop the use of traditional medicines or natural products in vector control.”
9. Recent Publications of Interest
The following are recent publications by RITAM members:
Fabrice Fekam Boyom, Eugénie Madiesse Kemgne, Roselyne Tepongning,Wilfred Fon Mbacham, Etienne Tsamo, Paul Henri Amvam Zollo, Jiri Gut, Philip J. Rosenthal. Antiplasmodial activity of extracts from seven medicinal plants used in malaria treatment in Cameroon. J. Ethnopharmacol 123, 483–488 (2009)
Graz B, Willcox ML, Diakite C, Falquet J, Dackuo F, Sidibe O, Giani S, Diallo D (2010). Argemone mexicana decoction versus Artesunate / Amodiaquine for the home-based management of malaria in Mali. Policy and public health implications. Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. 104:33-41.
Hsu E. Diverse Biologies and Experiential Continuities: did the Ancient Chinese know that Qinghao had Anti-malarial Properties? In F. Wallis (ed) Medicine and the Soul of Science: Essays by and in Memory of Don Bates. Special Issue. Canadian Bulletin of Medical History 26 (1): 203-213.
Hsu E. Chinese Propriety Medicines: an Alternative Modernity? The Case of the Anti-malarial Substance Artemisinin in East Africa. In E. Hsu & G Stollberg (eds) Globalizing Chinese medicine. Special Issue. Medical Anthropology: Cross-Cultural Studies in Health and Illness 28 (2): 111-140.
Dell'agli M, Galli GV, Corbett Y, Taramelli D, Lucantoni L, Habluetzel A, Maschi O, Caruso D, Giavarini F, Romeo S, Bhattacharya D, Bosisio E. Antiplasmodial activity of Punica granatum L. fruit rind. J Ethnopharmacol. 2009 125(2): 279-285.
Habluetzel A, Lucantoni L, Esposito F. Azadirachta indica as a public health tool for the control of malaria & other vector-borne diseases. Indian J Med Res. 2009 130(2): 112-114.
Colin W. Wright, Peter A. Linley, Reto Brun, Sergio Wittlin and Elisabeth Hsu (2010). Ancient Chinese Methods Are Remarkably Effective for the Preparation of Artemisinin-Rich Extracts of Qing Hao with
Potent Antimalarial Activity. Molecules 2010, 15, 804-812. http://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/15/2/804/pdf
10.Obituary: Nina Etkin
It is with great sadness that we inform members of the death of Nina Etkin, former Professor of Anthropology at the University of Hawai’i. Nina was one of the first members of RITAM and attended our inaugural meeting in Moshi in 1999 where she spoke about “Ethnomedical approaches in the study of indigenous antimalarials”, and about the prophylactic use of herbs. Her own detailed ethnographic research with the Hausa in Nigeria showed how certain food plants also have antimalarial properties and are eaten preferentially in the malaria season. She was the lead author of the RITAM guidelines for ethnobotanical studies on herbal antimalarials. We will greatly miss her.
11.Obituary: Monik Adriaens
We were very sad to learn recently of the tragic and untimely death of Monik Adriaens, Director of Tooro Botanical Gardens and research technical officer with the Sustainable Agriculture Trainers Network (SATNET) in Western Uganda.
Monik was involved in various many development projects including projects to fight against malaria. Notably she authored the book “Family Medicinal Plant Gardens in the Rwenzori Region”, and locally promoted the use of Artemisia annua. A full obituary is published at http://www.newvision.co.ug/D/8/25/624640
12.New Members:
We welcome the following new members who have joined since the last newsletter:
Dr Ayoade Abdulfatai Adesokan, Senior Lecturer and Head, Medical Biochemistry Unit, Department of Biochemistry, University of Ilorin, Nigeria.
Aisha A. El-Awady, Lecturer in Parasitology, School of Medicine, Cairo University, Egypt.
Dr Fabrice Fekam Boyom, Associate Professor, Department of Biochemistry, University of Yaoundé 1, Cameroon
Balogun Sikiru Olaitan, Lecturer (biochemistry), Kampala International University, Western Campus, Uganda
B.S. Chandrashekar B.S, Scientist, Institute of Wood Science and Technology, Bangalore, India
Dr Rosine Désirée Chougouo Kengne, Pharmacist, l’Université des Montagnes, Cameroun.
Dr Jean Bernard LEKANA-DOUKI, Senior Lecturer, University of Health Sciences - International Center of Medical Research of Franceville, Libreville, Gabon. Working on Gabonese medicinal plants.
Dr Leonardo Lucantoni, post-doc fellow, Department of Experimental Medicine and Public Health, University of Camerino, Italy
Dr Joao Soares Martins, Former Dean Faculty of Public Health, Universidade da Paz, Dili, Timor-Leste.
Tanayen Julius Kihdze, Lecturer (Pharmacology and Toxicology), Kampala International University, Western Campus, Uganda
Dr Sylvin OUEDRAOGO, Senior research scientist, CNRST/IRSS/Médecine Pharmacopée Traditionnelles, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. Also Secretary of WANNPRES.
Miss Woquan Sama, Lecturer, Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharamacy, University of Ibadan, Nigeria
Mrs Cyril-Olutayo C. Mojisola, Lecturer Department of Plant Science and Biotechnology, Adekunle Ajasin University, Ondo State, Nigeria.
With best wishes,
Merlin Willcox
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