Malaria resistance to drug treatment is on the rise in  Southeast Asia. Drugs from China, India & Vietnam that don't follow WHO  standards is the reason.
Fake malaria drugs a growing problem: experts by Kerry Sheridan (AFP)
WASHINGTON — Fake or poor quality malaria drugs are  
boosting resistance in parts of southeast  Asia, 
a problem that is likely to worsen  unless tighter regulations are adopted, US experts said Monday.  
"The malaria 
parasite has a  history of adapting to drugs and adapting to
  insecticides," Regina Rabinovich, director of 
infectious diseases at the 
Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, told a  hearing of US lawmakers. 
Drug  resistance to the most 
effective drug available, 
artemisinin-based combination  therapy, is developing and has been recognized in southeast  Asia. 
Last month, the World Health Organization said resistance to  artemisinin appeared to be spreading in the region from the Cambodia-Thailand  
border, where it was first 
detected in 2009,  and possibly moving into Myanmar. 
Half of the world's  
population is 
exposed to  the mosquito-borne  disease which kills 860,000 people every year, according to the  WHO.  
According to Roger Bate of the American Enterprise Institute,  research has shown that about half the malaria drugs that
 failed quality control tests also  
contained some artemisinin. 
"So they are directly 
contributing to resistance," he told lawmakers  at the House subcommitee on Africa, Global Health, and Human Rights.  
"Resistance is being noticed on the Thai, Cambodian, Burmese borders and  resistance is likely to increase," he said.  
Fake and 
substandard antimalarial medications are a  
significant and probably growing problem. 
While
 the actual number of poor quality drugs in circulation is unknown, "it is 
certainly not a negligible amount," he added, and
 the problem is  festering because these medications are not  
illegal in the countries affected. 
"Simply getting the  
medical regulatory authorities to control what is on the market  for
 anti malarials I think is important,"  said Bate 
The sale and use of 
monotherapies, which contain just one  
active agent, have long  been known to 
contribute to resistance. Experts favor 
combination therapies which last longer.  
Bate said that 
coordinated  action to get monotherapies off the market in  Africa has shown some success, "but some companies in China, India and  Vietnam are still producing them and this is a 
major  contribution to  resistance." 
And 
that will  definitely extend the life of any of those new drugs we develop going forward.  
Rabinovich 
echoed that point,  saying that 
the drugs of today will not be effective tomorrow. 
"Research and development is  
essential because the preventive and curative tools that are  available today and are so effective at controlling malaria are not  
sufficient to control malaria in the long term
 or for 
eradication due in part to the 
development of resistance," she said 
In  addition to tougher regulations, researchers need to 
focus on  developing new drugs against malaria, and consider making sure they cannot be  sold or 
distributed as monotherapies,
 the panelists urged. 
"The goal  now going forward is the new drugs we develop need to be made as  
fixed dose combinations immediately, and  never be
 sold or available as  single entities," said Dennis  Schmatz, president of Medicines for Malaria Venture North America, Inc.   
Copyright © 2011 AFP. All rights reserved.  
(
Source: Bangkok Post, Fake malaria drugs a  growing problem: experts, Kerry Sheridan (AFP), 
link)   
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jxuGuCeqrGXTqppn_XpOLoUJklWg?docId=CNG.7ecd231f6d2b64a4334ecaf3076dae5a.8e1  
Malaria Drug Resistance Vocabulary  
malaria - "a  mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans , the disease results from the  multiplication of  parasites within red blood cells, causing  fever and  headache, in severe cases progressing to coma or death. It is widespread in  tropical and subtropical regions, including much of Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia,  and the Americas" (See 
Wikipedia)  ไข้มาลาเรีย
infectious diseases -  diseases caused by viruses, bacteria, fungi, protozoa, multicellular parasites,  and aberrant proteins known as prions, that pass from person to person or from  animal to person by physical contact, contaminated food, body fluids, objects,  and breathing through the air (See 
Wikipedia)
Bill  and Melinda Gates Foundation - an organization that provides money for  health-related projects around the world: "the largest transparently operated  private foundation in the world, founded by Bill and Melinda Gates... The  primary aims of the foundation are, globally, to enhance healthcare and reduce  extreme poverty, and in America, to expand educational opportunities and access  to information technology. ... It had an endowment of US$33.5 billion as of  December 31, 2009. The scale of the foundation and the way it seeks to apply  business techniques to giving makes it one of the leaders in the  philanthrocapitalism revolution in global philanthropy" (See 
Wikipedia)
population  - the group of people who live in one country, area or place  กลุ่มพืชและสัตว์ที่อาศัยอยู่ในบริเวณหนึ่ง
exposed - openly  affected by and not protected from ได้รับ ในที่นี้หมายถึง สูดควันบุหรี่; ได้รับ  ได้สัมผัส (แดด หรือสารพิษ เป็นต้น)
borne - carried ถือ  หรือนำไป (อัญเชิญ ประดิษฐาน)
mosquito-borne  disease - a disease carried by mosquitos; that people catch from  mosquitos
 
half of the world's population is exposed to the mosquito-borne disease  [malaria] which kills 860,000 people every year
malaria drugs - drugs designed to prevent or  cure malaria (See 
Wikipedia)
anti malarials - same as "malaria drugs"  
fake - not real (made to look like the real  thing but they are not) ของปลอม
fake malaria drugs - drugs that look real, but  are
 not real fake malaria drugs  a growing problem  
parasite  - a small animal that lives inside a larger animal and gets its food from  the larger animal ปรสิต, พยาธิ (See 
Wikipedia)
malaria parasite  
artemisinin  - "a group of drugs that possess the most rapid action of all current  drugs against 
falciparum malaria.  Treatments containing an artemisinin derivative (artemisinin-combination  therapies, ACTs) are now standard treatment worldwide for falciparum malaria.  The starting compound artemisinin is isolated from the plant Artemisia annua, a  herb described in Chinese traditional medicine" (See 
Wikipedia)
falciparum malaria - the most dangerous  form of malaria with the highest rates of complications and mortality, almost  all global malarial deaths are caused by this variety, more exact name: 
Plasmodium Falciparum (See 
Wikipedia)
artemisinin-based - using the drug  artemisinin 
artemisinin-based  combination therapy (ACT) - the right way to  treat malaria, "the World Health Organisation has recommended that artemisinin  combination therapies (ACT) be first-line therapy for P. falciparum malaria  worldwide.[15] Combinations are effective because the artemisinin component  kills the majority of parasites at the start of the treatment while the more  slowly eliminated partner drug clears the remaining parasites. Several  fixed-dose ACTs are now available containing an artemisinin component and a  partner drug which has a long half-life, such as mefloquine (ASMQ), lumefantrine  (Coartem), amodiaquine (ASAQ), piperaquine (Duo-Cotecxin) and pyronaridine  (Pyramax)" (See 
Wikipedia)  
therapy - a medical treatment to  cure a disease; a treatment which helps someone feel better, grow stronger,  etc., especially after an illness การบำบัดโรค (See
 Wikipedia)
mono  - one; single 
monotherapies - therapy to sure a  disease that 
uses only one drug  
combination - the mixture  you get when 
two or more things are  combined การรวมกัน
combination therapies - a therapy to  cure a disease that 
uses more than one drug  
dose - an amount of drug that you take at a  single time ปริมาณยาที่ให้ต่อครั้ง
fixed dose  - a certain amount of a drug taken at one time 
fixed dose  combinations
drug resistance - when a drug loses its  ability to cure a disease over time (See 
Wikipedia)
resistance - same as "drug resistance" 
development  of resistance - when a drug  gradually loses its ability to cure diseases  
contribution - one one of  the things that causes something; something that you do that helps to produce  something or achieve something ผลงาน,การช่วยเหลือ
a major contribution to resistance - something that causes drug  resistance
contribute - to make a regular  payment
contribute to resistance 
contributing to  resistance
boosting - increasing เพิ่ม
boosting  resistance -  increasing drug  resistance 
insecticides - a  chemical used to kill insects (See 
Wikipedia)
adapting to drugs - developing and gaining resistance  to drugs (so they cannot cure disease anymore)  
adapting to  insecticides 
effective - works well,  gets the job done; producing the result that was intended  ได้ผลดี
effective drug - a drug that cures a disease 
regulations - rules made  by the government to control how some activity is done กฎระเบียบ ระเบียบปฏิบัติ   ระเบียบ ข้อบังคับ
adopt regulations - start using regulations 
a  problem that is likely to worsen unless tighter regulations are adopted
US  lawmakers - the US congress (the elected representatives that make laws)  (See 
Wikipedia)
border - the official  line separating two areas, regions or countries เขตแดน อาณาเขต
the Cambodia-Thailand border   
detected - noticed, discovered or found out  จับได้ พบได้
first detected in 2009, and possibly moving into Myanmar  
contains - has inside of  it  บรรจุ  มี 
X contains Y - X has Y  inside of it
 
quality -  คุณภาพ
quality control -  การควบคุมคุณภาพ (See  
Wikipedia)
quality control  tests - checking for the quality of products when they  are produced 
failed quality control tests - check for quality above a standard (and  quality was below a standard)  
failed quality control tests also contained some artemisinin   
substandard - quality below quality requirements  set by government; not good to be accepted; fails tests  ต่ำกว่ามาตราฐาน
medications -  medicine
significant - important สำคัญ
significant  problem - an important problem 
fake and substandard antimalarial medications are a significant and probably growing problem
the problem  is festering - the problem is getting worse 
in circulation - that people have and are  using 
 actual -  real; existing in fact จริง
while the  actual number of poor quality drugs in circulation is unknown
negligible - very small or  unimportant ซึ่งไม่สลักสำคัญ
certainly not  a negligible amount
illegal -  against the law ผิดกฎหมาย, นอกกฎหมาย
these  medications are not illegal in the countries affected  
authorities - government  officials; the police or people in official organisations who have the legal  power to make people obey laws or rules เจ้าหน้าที่ (ตำรวจ หรือผู้มีอำนาจ)
medical regulatory authorities  - the government officials who enforce laws against drugs being sold  
active -  working, operating, doing some function, work or job 
active  agent - the part of a drug that  actually cures disease (See 
Wikipedia)
coordinated - working  together to achieve a goal ทำงานร่วมกัน
coordinated action to get monotherapies off the market in  Africa 
extend - to add more time  ยืดออกไป
extend the life - make the life longer,  add to the life 
that will definitely  extend the life of any of those new drugs we develop going forward. 
echoed that point - said he agreed with  something that another person said (a "point" in their argument) 
effective - successfully completes the task it  is chosen to do; achieves it goals  
the  drugs of today will not be effective  tomorrow 
research and development  (R&D) -  research work using engineering or science to create new  products, improve existing products or improve the process of producing and  manufacturing a product
 (See 
Wikipedia)
essential - necessary and  important ที่จำเป็น ที่สำคัญ
research and development is essential  
sufficient - enough พอเพียง
sufficient  to control malaria
eradicate (verb) - get rid of, eliminate 
eradication - the process of 
getting rid of and 
eliminating something การถอนรากถอนโคน,  การกำจัด, การทำลาย
focus - think about and  work on one thing (rather than waste time on many), concentrate time and  attention on one thing ให้ความสำคัญ
researchers need to focus on developing new drugs against  malaria
distributed - made available to customers  through stores and middlemen
distributed as monotherapies
panel - a group of experts gathered together to  meet and discuss a problem and provide advice and suggestions on who to solve  the problem 
panelists - the experts  on the panel 
urged - requested them to do, enouraged  people to do, tried to get them to do; advised someone very strongly about what  action should be taken วิงวอน
the  panelists urged 
immediately - happening  right after something else with no delay; right away ทันที
single  - one 
single entity - only
 one thing
 sold or available as single entities - sold or available as 
one thing (not in a combination of many  things) 
rights - what the law allows you to have and  do; something you are legally or morally allowed to do or have สิทธิ์