Five Minutes

Political attitudes are vital to the success of malaria elimination efforts. Jeremy Lefroy’s responsibility is to inform other Parliamentarians about the disease.

I’m joined by Lukyn Gedge who is coordinating the Microbide Bucket Challenge in India. Her team is testing the efficacy of a new biodegradable larvicide that can kill mosquitos, releasing carbon dioxide and water into the atmosphere.

Microbide is developing a biodegradable insecticide for the control of mosquitoes. It’s currently undergoing so-called ‘bucket trials’ in India.

Joan Nalubega makes and sells mosquito-repellent soap. Her company has received worldwide attention after Reuters shared her story online.

Stellar Murumba has been investigating substandard antimalarial drugs. Her work has led to the Kenyan Health Ministry to recall Duo-Cotecxin, a commonly used antimalarial.

Rachel Carson was a passionate scientist and ecologist who wrote about the environment. Her most famous book, Silent Spring, discusses the consequences of DDT misuse.

Annemarie Quinn and Code Sangala speak to me about their charity, Music Against Malaria. They’re currently touring Malawi to raise money for the Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital in Blantyre.

Professor Marcia Castro from Harvard University helped launch MalariaX. It’s an online course that details the science and technology of malaria, as well as the historical, political, social and economic factors to its eradication.

Michelle Stanton is trying to reduce malaria deaths by better understanding where mosquito breeding spots are. She’s using the power of drones to capture aerial imagery in Malawi’s drone corridor – a patch of land devoted to humanitarian drone testing.

Dr Deborah O’Neil is the CEO of Novabiotics, a leading clinical-stage biotechnology company. She talks to me about antibiotic resistance and the future of pharma with so-called ‘personalised medicines’.