| Popis: |
Malaria and malnutrition remain among the leading causes of death in the developing world, despite decades of large-scale research and control efforts. Epidemiologically, malaria and malnutrition are often endemic in the same areas of the world, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, and both children and pregnant women are most at risk for both conditions. As there are no universally accepted metrics or biomarkers for either condition, a standardized approach to study their interactions has been difficult. Public health interventions and surveillance methods remain imperfect, as the range, extent, and magnitude of interactions between the two conditions remain unclear. In this chapter, we aim to delineate nutritional frameworks that are useful in considering malaria, in terms of how nutritional status can influence the severity, susceptibility, and spread of malaria. While the causes of malaria and malnutrition are multivariate, they are interrelated; a systems biology approach that considers the causes and impacts of both simultaneously will allow us to move beyond a “single disease, single solution” strategy to design more effective, targeted, and integrated interventions in dually endemic areas. |
