Ahmadu Bello University Lecturer develops Malaria vaccine

Nasiru Shua’ibu, a professor in the Biochemical
Parasitology Department of Ahmadu Bello
University (ABU), Zaria, has developed a new
malaria vaccine to prevent high rate of death from
malaria fever.

Speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in
Zaria, Kaduna State on Tuesday, Mr. Shu’aibu said
the new malaria vaccine was different from others
currently in use.

Mr. Shu’aibu, who is currently working with the
Institute of Tropical Medicine, Japan, said the
result of the research on the new vaccine would
soon be out for Nigerians to use.

“In a simple term that a layman can understand,
the content of this malaria vaccine research is
difficult, but let me try if I could simplify it, it is
called DNA Vaccine.

“It is a new technology for discovery and delivery
of vaccine against any infectious disease that was
developed in the early to mid 1990s.

“The DNA of the malaria parasite was extracted and
the portion of the DNA that is tested to be a good
vaccine candidate is subjected to molecular
biology methods which are used to produce a lot
of the DNA,” Mr. Shu’aibu said.

According to him, the amount of DNA from the
malaria parasite was very minute in quantity and
to expand the quantity, Polymerase Chain Reaction
(PCR) was used.

“Then a method of cloning is now used to insert
the DNA into a vehicle that will carry the DNA into
either animal or human body.
“It is then injected into the body of the animal or
human and it eventually enters the cells of the
animal in the same way a virus enters and infects
cells.

“The injected DNA now uses the cells in the body
to produce chemicals that will prevent malaria
from infecting the body,” Mr. Shu’aibu said.

He said the vaccine was different from any of the
licensed vaccines like polio and other EPI
vaccines.

Mr. Shu’aibu added that the approach was also
different from the other malaria vaccine (RTS,S/
AS01) that was likely to be licensed but the goals
were the same, to control and eventually eliminate
malaria.
Nigeria, with an estimated population of over 170
million, constitutes the highest malaria burden in
Africa and in the world.

Mr. Shu’aibu doubted the figures from the National
Malaria Control Programme (NMCP) indicating
progress in containing the disease.
“I still doubt; the tools currently used to fight
malaria are not sufficient to have a substantial and
sustained impact that is needed to resolve the
malaria crisis in Nigeria,” he said.
Mr. Shu’aibu said the need to monitor the growing
resistance to anti-malarial drugs and insecticides.
He said if not checked and documented, it would
jeopardise years of global public health success
and investments in malaria control.