The anti-malarial drug Artemisinin has been found
ineffective to cure the type malaria given by certain species of parasites.
These artemisinin-resistant organisms are slowing down the international
efforts to eradicate malaria. The first reports of resistant parasites have
been observed in the borders of Cambodia
and Thailand, and Thailand and Myanmar.
There seems to be a strong association between a region of
chromosome 13 on the P falciparum genome and slower effectiveness
rates, although this has yet to be confirmed. Several international efforts
to contain the effects of these new drug-resistant parasites are being
implemented. These include the Tracking Resistance to
Artemisinin Collaboration>, funded by the UK Government Department for International
Development (DFID) and the Global
Plan for Arteminisinin resistance containment, created by the World Health
Organisation (WHO). The first project is researching the issue in itself; the
latter has outlined the necessary steps to research the causes of the
phenomenon and, also, to contain and prevent the spreading of artemisinin
resistance.