Hindi English Translation || Editorial || Killing the chills: On the malaria vaccine

Killing the chills: On the malaria vaccine

The malaria vaccine (टीका) must see speedy (rapid, swift, quick, fast) implementation from the lab to the field

The triumphs (जीत, सफलता, उपलब्धि) of science are best appreciated when they make human lives easier or safer, or simply, offer hope. The first ever World Health Organization (WHO)-approved anti-malaria vaccine must count (गिनती, गणना) among those triumphs. The approval marks (निशान बनाना, संकेत करना, प्रतिनिधित्व करना) a milestone in a timeline that records a long and laborious (difficult, tough, arduous, taxing, demanding) process to grapple with malaria, and somehow make it less of a killer. The vaccine that WHO has approved — RTS,S — has been used in pilot (test, trial, experimental) programme participants (children and infants (शिशु, बच्चा, नवजात)) in Africa from 2015 after it got a nod (सम्मति, अनुमोदन का संकेत) for this specific use from the European Medicines Agency (a decentralised agency of the European Union (EU) responsible for the scientific evaluation, supervision, and safety monitoring of medicines in the EU). This triumph comes at a time of great scientific endeavour (प्रयास, गतिविधि, पीछा), yes, but also notably (विशेष रूप से, उल्लेखनीय रूप ) at a time when it was feared that the progress against malaria was flagging (fade, fail, decline, deteriorate, wane, diminish, decrease, lessen). With this vaccine, which will significantly reduce the severity (seriousness) of cases and prevent deaths, hope has sprung anew that humankind (मानव जाति, लोग) might retard (काम करना, देरी करना, धीमा करना) in its tracks a pathogen (रोगज़नक़, रोगाणु) that has stalked (sweep, storm; go after, be after) sub-Saharan Africa and several other parts of the world for years now. WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom rightly termed it as a historic moment, achieving a breakthrough not only for malaria control but also child health and science itself. The malaria vaccine, RTS,S, which has been in the making for nearly 30 years, acts against P. falciparum (the most deadly of the human malaria parasites. (Malaria is a life-threatening disease caused by parasites that are transmitted to people through the bites of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes. It is preventable and curable. There are 5 parasite species that cause malaria in humans, and 2 of these species -Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax - pose the greatest threat)), believed to be the most deadly (घातक, जीवन के लिए खतरा) malaria parasite (परजीवी) globally. As per WHO, in 2019, nearly half the world’s population was at risk of malaria, while most cases and deaths occur in sub-Saharan (relating to the area of the continent of Africa that lies south of the Sahara desert) Africa. There were an estimated 229 million cases in 2019, and malaria deaths stood at 4,09,000, with the WHO African region carrying a disproportionate (inordinate, excessive, unreasonable, unfair, uneven) burden — 94% of cases and deaths. Children under five are the most vulnerable (endangered, unsafe, unprotected, unguarded, ill-protected; easily affected by, prone to, at risk of) group affected by malaria; in 2019, they accounted for about two thirds of all malaria deaths.

WHO said it was making a recommendation for use based on the key findings (conclusion, result; decision) of pilot projects implemented in child health clinics in Ghana, Kenya and Malawi over two years. Data and insights (understanding, realization, recognition, experience (of a thing)) gathered from these studies showed that the vaccine was not only feasible (practicable, viable, realistic) to introduce but that it also improves health and saves lives. Remarkably, it facilitated (make easy, make possible, enable, assist, help/aid) equitable (impartial, even-handed, unbiased, fair, reasonable) access to malaria prevention, even during the COVID-19 pandemic (the worldwide spread of a new disease; The illness spreads around the world and typically affects a large number of people across a wide area), helping reach even hitherto (previously, earlier, so far/thus far, until now) unreached populations. While further steps are taken to manufacture, fund and roll out (launch, introduce, organize, inaugurate (something officially)) the vaccine to nations affected by malaria, maintaining equity (fairness, justness, neutrality, impartiality, egalitarianism) of access is key. Dr. Tedros emphasised in his press conference that as the work towards providing vaccination (treatment with a vaccine to protect against a particular disease; immunization) continues, nations may, by no means, relinquish (discontinue, stop, cease, give up) their routine malaria prevention activities, including providing insecticide (a chemical substance used for killing insects)-treated bed nets. While the world now has a way to kill the rigors (a chill, usually with shivering, as at the onset of high fever and chills) — the chills (ठंडा, सर्द, शीतल) characteristic of the infection — the next step should be speedy and meticulous (careful, conscientious, diligent) implementation of the scientific miracle from the lab to the field.

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.chill (noun)

Hindi Meaning - ठंडा, सर्द, शीतल
English Meaning - a feverish cold, dose of flu, dose of influenza, viral infection; rigor.

2.vaccine (noun)

Hindi Meaning - टीका
English Meaning - a biological preparation that improves immunity to a particular disease.

3.triumph (noun)

Hindi Meaning - जीत, सफलता, उपलब्धि
English Meaning - achievement, success; win, victory.

4.count (verb)

Hindi Meaning - गिनती, गणना
English Meaning - consider, regard, view as.

5.mark (verb)

Hindi Meaning - निशान बनाना, संकेत करना, प्रतिनिधित्व करना
English Meaning - indicate, represent, signify.

6.infant (noun)

Hindi Meaning - शिशु, बच्चा, नवजात
English Meaning - baby, newborn, young child.

7.nod (noun)

Hindi Meaning - सम्मति, अनुमोदन का संकेत
English Meaning - a sign of approval.

8.endeavour (noun)

Hindi Meaning - प्रयास, गतिविधि, पीछा
English Meaning - activity, pursuit; aim/effort.

9.notably (adverb)

Hindi Meaning - विशेष रूप से, उल्लेखनीय रूप
English Meaning - especially, particularly, strikingly, markedly.

10.humankind (noun)

Hindi Meaning - मानव जाति, लोग
English Meaning - humanity, the human race, people.

11.retard (verb)

Hindi Meaning - काम करना, देरी करना, धीमा करना
English Meaning - delay, slow down, slow up, hold back, put a brake on.

12.pathogen (noun)

Hindi Meaning - रोगज़नक़, रोगाणु
English Meaning - bacteria/virus that causes disease.

13.deadly (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - घातक, जीवन के लिए खतरा
English Meaning - fatal, lethal, life-threatening.

14.parasite (noun)

Hindi Meaning - परजीवी
English Meaning - an animal or plant that lives in or on another animal or plant and gets food or protection from it.

15.stand at (verb)

Hindi Meaning - पर खड़े
English Meaning - be at a particular level.

16.speedy (adjective)

English Meaning - rapid, swift, quick, fast.

17.implementation (noun)

English Meaning - execution.

18.anti-malaria vaccine (noun)

English Meaning - The World Health Organization recommends widespread use of the RTS,S/AS01 (RTS,S) malaria vaccine among children in sub-Saharan Africa and in other regions with moderate to high P. falciparum malaria transmission. The recommendation is based on results from the ongoing pilot programme in Ghana, Kenya and Malawi that has reached more than 800 000 children since 2019.

19.milestone (noun)

English Meaning - major achievement, historic event, significant stage, turning point.

20.laborious (adjective)

English Meaning - difficult, tough, arduous, taxing, demanding.

21.grapple with (verb)

English Meaning - struggle, tackle, confront, deal with, cope with.

22.pilot (adjective)

English Meaning - test, trial, experimental.

23.The European Medicines Agency (EMA) (noun)

English Meaning - a decentralised agency of the European Union (EU) responsible for the scientific evaluation, supervision, and safety monitoring of medicines in the EU.

24.flag (verb)

English Meaning - fade, fail, decline, deteriorate, wane, diminish, decrease, lessen.

25.significantly (adverb)

English Meaning - notably, importantly, crucially.

26.severity (noun)

English Meaning - seriousness.

27.spring (verb)

English Meaning - appear suddenly.

28.anew (adverb)

English Meaning - over again, once more.

29.in one’s tracks (phrase)

English Meaning - where something is at the time; suddenly.

30.stalk (verb)

English Meaning - sweep, storm; go after, be after.

31.sub-Saharan (adjective)

English Meaning - relating to the area of the continent of Africa that lies south of the Sahara desert.

32.breakthrough (noun)

English Meaning - very important development or progress; advance, step forward, leap forward, success.

33.P. falciparum (noun)

English Meaning - the most deadly of the human malaria parasites. (Malaria is a life-threatening disease caused by parasites that are transmitted to people through the bites of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes. It is preventable and curable. There are 5 parasite species that cause malaria in humans, and 2 of these species -Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax - pose the greatest threat).

34.disproportionate (adjective)

English Meaning - inordinate, excessive, unreasonable, unfair, uneven.

35.vulnerable (adjective)

English Meaning - endangered, unsafe, unprotected, unguarded, ill-protected; easily affected by, prone to, at risk of.

36.account for (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - constitute, comprise, form, represent.

37.findings (noun)

English Meaning - conclusion, result; decision.

38.insight (noun)

English Meaning - understanding, realization, recognition, experience (of a thing).

39.feasible (adjective)

English Meaning - practicable, viable, realistic.

40.remarkably (adverb)

English Meaning - strikingly, exceptionally, incredibly.

41.facilitate (verb)

English Meaning - make easy, make possible, enable, assist, help/aid.

42.equitable (adjective)

English Meaning - impartial, even-handed, unbiased, fair, reasonable.

43.pandemic (noun)

English Meaning - the worldwide spread of a new disease; The illness spreads around the world and typically affects a large number of people across a wide area.

44.hitherto (adverb)

English Meaning - previously, earlier, so far/thus far, until now.

45.roll out (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - launch, introduce, organize, inaugurate (something officially).

46.equity (noun)

English Meaning - fairness, justness, neutrality, impartiality, egalitarianism.

47.emphasise (verb)

English Meaning - draw attention to, put stress on, underscore, highlight.

48.vaccination (noun)

English Meaning - treatment with a vaccine to protect against a particular disease; immunization.

49.by no means (phrase)

English Meaning - not at all, in no way, certainly not, absolutely not, definitely not.