British scientists are on the cusp of producing a new generation of mosquito-fighting tools that will lead the charge in the fight against malaria.
With more than 600,000 people, mainly children, dying from malaria every year, wiping out the disease is a race against time.
Researchers at the Innovative Vector Control Consortium in Liverpool are working with industries on five new insecticide chemical formulas that they believe will be game changers in the next five years.
Malaria is carried by mosquitoes and the insecticides are vital to help control their numbers.
The team is presently working on testing the chemicals on bed nets and sprays before they are used in field trials in Africa. If successful, their research will be submitted to the World Health Organisation for approval.
The charity has already successfully helped to bring five clients' products to the market place, one of the latest the Interceptor G2 nets have reduced malaria incidences by 44 per cent when compared with standard nets.
With mosquito resistance to existing insecticides growing, the race to find the next formula to tackle them is imperative, experts told The National.
“The fight against malaria is really important, it is the equivalent to sub-Saharan Africa facing a pandemic every year,” Chris Larkin of the IVCC said.
“The battle we face is the mosquitoes growing resistance to existing insecticides and the scientists at IVCC are working hard to find the next game changers.
“Due to the emergence of insecticide resistance, we now have a new product portfolio to take the place of effective sprays.
“We are confident we have three to five compounds we can bring through so the next generation of bed nets can be rotated to slowdown insect resistance. By rotating and changing the insecticides used on the nets and in sprays each year we can help reduce the mosquitoes resistance to it.
“We have tested millions of chemicals and there are not many left, we do not know where the next set will come from, so it’s imperative we work fast to help reduce resistance.”
Liverpool at the forefront of tackling malaria for more than a century
The IVCC was established in 2005 through an initial $50 million grant to the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation – which has been working closely with the UAE in a bid to eradicate diseases worldwide.
World Mosquito Day, which will take place on Sunday, marks 126 years since the transmission of malaria by mosquitoes was first discovered by British scientist Sir Ronald Ross in 1897 – the first ever lecturer at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine.
Now, the work he began in Liverpool is continuing in the city through the IVCC.
“We have five components at different stages of development,” Mr Larkin said.
“A lot of testing will be done on the toxicology and eventually these chemicals will be formulated to be applied to a product. It will then be tested in lab conditions and then field trials will take place. Once the data is compiled, it will form part of a dossier to be submitted to WHO for approval.
“We have a really robust pipeline of chemistry we are taking through different phases presently, it is really important we take these forward to market asap. New chemistries bring a game changer.
“We know the new chemistries are working and we need to get the products into the market at pace and scale.”
Inside the UK charity helping combat malaria
Latest figures show there were 229 million cases of malaria in 2019 and 409,000 deaths – two thirds of which were children under five.
Many of the deaths occur in sub-Saharan Africa but the work to tackle the disease is taking place more than 3,200 kilometres away in IVCC’s specialist labs in Liverpool.
Being surrounded by more than 20,000 mosquitoes on a daily basis is probably most people’s worst nightmare.
But for IVCC’s researchers, the mosquitoes are helping them to save lives.
“I never imagined I would be working with mosquitoes everyday,” Dr Amy Guy told The National.
“I love the work we do, it’s so exciting and so important to know that the work we do here will save lives. The breakthroughs we have made have been amazing.”
Inside the labs, the research is split into separate areas to protect against cross-contamination.
Technicians wear different coloured protective coats, with those in white surgical attire working in the breeding centre.
Working in high temperatures, researchers breed mosquitoes from sub-Saharan Africa, drip-feeding them on human blood, to enable the latest cutting-edge insecticides to be tested.
Dozens of trays containing 600 eggs are stacked on the counters while glass boxes full of mosquitoes line the shelves.
It is from here that the mosquitoes are taken to a separate lab where the testing of insecticides takes place.
Washing lines holding small pieces of net are strung up around the lab and specialist chambers are used to test the sprays.
The team has to ensure the nets can be washed up to 20 times and still keep their full resistance.
No variant can be overlooked in their research and the team has tiles of different materials, from mud and wood to cement, in the lab to replicate the materials used in homes in Africa.
Once their rigorous testing has been completed, the chemicals are then used in field trials in tropical countries.
Millions of people will be protected by the mosquito nets
The team is focused on developing insecticides to treat nets and for spraying walls indoors.
Scientists at IVCC are developing and plan to distribute 35 million next generation mosquito nets that will protect an estimated 63 million people.
Over the past two decades, there has been a 47 per cent decline in malaria mortality rates, aided by the invention of new preventive products such as long-lasting insecticide-treated mosquito nets.
But insecticide resistance could reduce the effectiveness of chemicals currently used.
The WHO has recorded 73 countries that have detected resistance to at least one insecticide and 28 countries that have detected resistance to all four of the most common ones.
IVCC chief executive Justin McBeath said resistance to existing insecticides is a growing concern.
“Resistance is becoming more and more widespread,” he said.
“It is one of the most significant challenges to eliminating malaria.
“When we were set up there was a mass deployment of bed nets and resistance was already being seen. Vector control has a massive impact and it is really important for malaria prevention.
“What we have brought through has been incredibly successful, and the work we are doing is vital to keep ahead of the game.”
Malaria has become a global concern and earlier this year, the UAE's President Sheikh Mohamed announced that his country was committed to eradicating it.
The UAE is a major contributor in the fight to make malaria history through the Roll Back Malaria initiative. In January, it delivered a $5 million boost to an international campaign aimed at addressing the affects of climate change on efforts to eradicate malaria.
Mr Larkin says vector control needs to be at the forefront in efforts to eradicate it.
“We need drugs and vaccines for malaria to be eradicated but each of these arms need to work in conjunction with protective measures,” Mr Larkin said.
“The vaccines are not a silver bullet we still need interventions in terms of drugs and protection. We are not the sexy side of the fight but we are very much needed.
“There is no excuse for thousands of children to die needlessly any more.”
Tips to avoid getting scammed
1) Beware of cheques presented late on Thursday
2) Visit an RTA centre to change registration only after receiving payment
3) Be aware of people asking to test drive the car alone
4) Try not to close the sale at night
5) Don't be rushed into a sale
6) Call 901 if you see any suspicious behaviour
Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
What is an ETF?
An exchange traded fund is a type of investment fund that can be traded quickly and easily, just like stocks and shares. They come with no upfront costs aside from your brokerage's dealing charges and annual fees, which are far lower than on traditional mutual investment funds. Charges are as low as 0.03 per cent on one of the very cheapest (and most popular), Vanguard S&P 500 ETF, with the maximum around 0.75 per cent.
There is no fund manager deciding which stocks and other assets to invest in, instead they passively track their chosen index, country, region or commodity, regardless of whether it goes up or down.
The first ETF was launched as recently as 1993, but the sector boasted $5.78 billion in assets under management at the end of September as inflows hit record highs, according to the latest figures from ETFGI, a leading independent research and consultancy firm.
There are thousands to choose from, with the five largest providers BlackRock’s iShares, Vanguard, State Street Global Advisers, Deutsche Bank X-trackers and Invesco PowerShares.
While the best-known track major indices such as MSCI World, the S&P 500 and FTSE 100, you can also invest in specific countries or regions, large, medium or small companies, government bonds, gold, crude oil, cocoa, water, carbon, cattle, corn futures, currency shifts or even a stock market crash.
Overall standings
1. Christopher Froome (GBR/Sky) 68hr 18min 36sec,
2. Fabio Aru (ITA/AST) at 0:18.
3. Romain Bardet (FRA/ALM) 0:23.
4. Rigoberto Uran (COL/CAN) 0:29.
5. Mikel Landa (ESP/SKY) 1:17.
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Tottenham v Ajax, Tuesday, 11pm (UAE).
Second leg
Ajax v Tottenham, Wednesday, May 8, 11pm
Games on BeIN Sports
AndhaDhun
Director: Sriram Raghavan
Producer: Matchbox Pictures, Viacom18
Cast: Ayushmann Khurrana, Tabu, Radhika Apte, Anil Dhawan
Rating: 3.5/5
Film: In Syria
Dir: Philippe Van Leeuw
Starring: Hiam Abbass, Diamand Bo Abboud, Mohsen Abbas and Juliette Navis
Verdict: Four stars
Results
Ashraf Ghani 50.64 per cent
Abdullah Abdullah 39.52 per cent
Gulbuddin Hekmatyar 3.85 per cent
Rahmatullah Nabil 1.8 per cent
List of officials:
Referees: Chris Broad, David Boon, Jeff Crowe, Andy Pycroft, Ranjan Madugalle and Richie Richardson.
Umpires: Aleem Dar, Kumara Dharmasena, Marais Erasmus, Chris Gaffaney, Ian Gould, Richard Illingworth, Richard Kettleborough, Nigel Llong, Bruce Oxenford, Ruchira Palliyaguruge, Sundaram Ravi, Paul Reiffel, Rod Tucker, Michael Gough, Joel Wilson and Paul Wilson.
Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Sav%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202021%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Purvi%20Munot%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20FinTech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%24750%2C000%20as%20of%20March%202023%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Angel%20investors%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Scoreline
Saudi Arabia 1-0 Japan
Saudi Arabia Al Muwallad 63’
How to avoid crypto fraud
- Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
- Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
- Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
- Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
- Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
- Only use reputable platforms that have a track record of strong regulatory compliance.
- Store funds in hardware wallets as opposed to online exchanges.
Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
pakistan Test squad
Azhar Ali (capt), Shan Masood, Abid Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Asad Shafiq, Babar Azam, Fawad Alam, Haris Sohail, Imran Khan, Kashif Bhatti, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Mohammad Abbas, Yasir Shah, Usman Shinwari
Paatal Lok season two
Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy
Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong
Rating: 4.5/5
Game Changer
Director: Shankar
Stars: Ram Charan, Kiara Advani, Anjali, S J Suryah, Jayaram
Rating: 2/5
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League, last 16, first leg
Tottenham Hotspur v Borussia Dortmund, midnight (Thursday), BeIN Sports
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EEjari%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ERiyadh%2C%20Saudi%20Arabia%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EYazeed%20Al%20Shamsi%2C%20Fahad%20Albedah%2C%20Mohammed%20Alkhelewy%20and%20Khalid%20Almunif%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EPropTech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETotal%20funding%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%241%20million%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESanabil%20500%20Mena%2C%20Hambro%20Perks'%20Oryx%20Fund%20and%20angel%20investors%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E8%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Fight card
1. Bantamweight: Victor Nunes (BRA) v Siyovush Gulmamadov (TJK)
2. Featherweight: Hussein Salim (IRQ) v Shakhriyor Juraev (UZB)
3. Catchweight 80kg: Rashed Dawood (UAE) v Khamza Yamadaev (RUS)
4. Lightweight: Ho Taek-oh (KOR) v Ronald Girones (CUB)
5. Lightweight: Arthur Zaynukov (RUS) v Damien Lapilus (FRA)
6. Bantamweight: Vinicius de Oliveira (BRA) v Furkatbek Yokubov (RUS)
7. Featherweight: Movlid Khaybulaev (RUS) v Zaka Fatullazade (AZE)
8. Flyweight: Shannon Ross (TUR) v Donovon Freelow (USA)
9. Lightweight: Mohammad Yahya (UAE) v Dan Collins (GBR)
10. Catchweight 73kg: Islam Mamedov (RUS) v Martun Mezhulmyan (ARM)
11. Bantamweight World title: Jaures Dea (CAM) v Xavier Alaoui (MAR)
12. Flyweight World title: Manon Fiorot (FRA) v Gabriela Campo (ARG)
THE SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Power: 110 horsepower
Torque: 147Nm
Price: From Dh59,700
On sale: now
STAY%2C%20DAUGHTER
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More coverage from the Future Forum
Why it pays to compare
A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.
Route 1: bank transfer
The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.
Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount
Total received: €4,670.30
Route 2: online platform
The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.
Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction
Total received: €4,756
The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.
Lowest Test scores
26 - New Zealand v England at Auckland, March 1955
30 - South Africa v England at Port Elizabeth, Feb 1896
30 - South Africa v England at Birmingham, June 1924
35 - South Africa v England at Cape Town, April 1899
36 - South Africa v Australia at Melbourne, Feb. 1932
36 - Australia v England at Birmingham, May 1902
36 - India v Australia at Adelaide, Dec. 2020
38 - Ireland v England at Lord's, July 2019
42 - New Zealand v Australia in Wellington, March 1946
42 - Australia v England in Sydney, Feb. 1888
Glossary of a stock market revolution
Reddit
A discussion website
Redditor
The users of Reddit
Robinhood
A smartphone app for buying and selling shares
Short seller
Selling a stock today in the belief its price will fall in the future
Short squeeze
Traders forced to buy a stock they are shorting
Naked short
An illegal practice
Teams
Punjabi Legends Owners: Inzamam-ul-Haq and Intizar-ul-Haq; Key player: Misbah-ul-Haq
Pakhtoons Owners: Habib Khan and Tajuddin Khan; Key player: Shahid Afridi
Maratha Arabians Owners: Sohail Khan, Ali Tumbi, Parvez Khan; Key player: Virender Sehwag
Bangla Tigers Owners: Shirajuddin Alam, Yasin Choudhary, Neelesh Bhatnager, Anis and Rizwan Sajan; Key player: TBC
Colombo Lions Owners: Sri Lanka Cricket; Key player: TBC
Kerala Kings Owners: Hussain Adam Ali and Shafi Ul Mulk; Key player: Eoin Morgan
Venue Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Format 10 overs per side, matches last for 90 minutes
Timeline October 25: Around 120 players to be entered into a draft, to be held in Dubai; December 21: Matches start; December 24: Finals
ICC T20 Team of 2021
Jos Buttler, Mohammad Rizwan, Babar Azam, Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh, David Miller, Tabraiz Shamsi, Josh Hazlewood, Wanindu Hasaranga, Mustafizur Rahman, Shaheen Afridi
