Pinay scientist committed to find vaccine vs malaria
Posted at 01/08/2011
REDWOOD SHORES, California – A Filipina scientist and researcher has made it her mission to find a vaccine to cure malaria, a leading cause of death in the Philippines.“Ang malaria kapag napabayaan iyan, nakakamatay. Pupunta iyung parasites sa utak, sa organs sa katawan. Dumadami sila doon tapos kapag hindi nagamot, mamamatay,” said Pamela Magistrado, 36.
Malaria is caused by a parasite that’s transmitted through mosquito bites. At least 57 provinces in the country are malaria-epidemic, putting the lives of 11 million people at risk.
Magistrado’s commitment to find a cure led her to Africa. Magistrado is the first and the only Filipina recipient of the Bill Gates Malaria Scholarship.
“Mayroong mga drugs para sa malaria kaya lang pagkalipas ng ilang taon nagiging resistant 'yung mga parasites sa drugs so kailangan na namang maghanap ng bagong drugs,” said Magistrado.
Magistrado has spent 4 years in Tanzania doing research with other scientists.
Malaria kills a million people annually in Africa. And hundreds of millions more are infected with the disease every year.
“Ang aking research based sa Tanzania, naghahanap kami ng bakuna. For many years, wala pa din bakuna kasi ang hirap nga ng research. Kapag nag-succeed, makakaramdam ako ng self-fulfillment,” she added.
Magistrado and her peers could win a Nobel Prize should they find a vaccine for Malaria. But she said helping save lives is the ultimate reward. Balitang America
No comments:
Post a Comment