Model of success inspires Congo to tackle malaria

KINSHASA-On the profile of his social media account, Patient Kaloma, a medical researcher based in the northeast of the Democratic Republic of Congo, is gazing at a plant that he clinches between his fingers.

For a man who is not keen on expressing himself, Kaloma becomes very chatty, even eloquent, when it comes to the seemingly innocuous green plant.

"After sowing the seeds, we must move on to the nursery stage. Here we just threw seeds on prepared soil, soon we will move them into the field. After several months, they will be ready for harvest." Kaloma says, explaining how he works with the plant.

This plant, called Artemisia annua, or sweet wormwood, is a key element of the cure for malaria, a nightmare that haunts numerous African countries, especially Kaloma's hometown.

According to the World Health Organization, Africa is the continent most affected by malaria, with the disease claiming 384,000 lives in 2020, including nearly 14,000 people in the DRC.

"The DRC is a tropical country, people here in North Kivu province are victims of malaria. With the research that we have done, we have found that Artemisia annua is a plant that can treat malaria and other infectious diseases," Kaloma says.

"We have here a scale that helps us measure the grams (of the crushed Artemisia annua). The patient will recover after taking 5 grams with a liter of water each day for a week."

After years of expertise in leading Artemisia annua research in the field and fighting malaria, Kaloma is nicknamed "Doctor Artemisia" by local residents.

"The Chinese showed us a model to follow, they used the plant for a very long time to extract artemisinin. That is why, as Congolese researchers, we need to popularize this plant," he says.

Artemisinin, extracted from the plant, has proved effective in reducing mortality rates for patients suffering from malaria. The groundbreaking finding was led by Chinese scientist Tu Youyou, who, in 2015, won a Nobel Prize for her persistent research on malaria.

In late June, after 70 years of struggle against malaria, the WHO granted China a malaria-free certification, which, according to Kaloma, is a huge inspiration.

"We also need to follow the same model as China, because the WHO has announced that China is now malaria-free," he says.

About two months after the eruption of volcano Nyiragongo, when some of his fields were swallowed by steaming lava, Kaloma and his team have started picking up the broken pieces, which gives him a new perspective-that the plant is more than just a cure for the disease.

"The culture of Artemisia annua brings opportunities to the younger generation of North Kivu," he says. As the region is experiencing a population explosion, with more young people living and working in urban areas, these young people must be given opportunities to transform local agricultural sectors, he explains.

Under Kaloma's initiative, many young people are now learning about the lifesaving plant that could possibly put them on the right track for a better life.

The fight against youth unemployment is a considerable challenge, which demands creation of new agricultural and health enterprises, he notes. "Young people are the present and future. Artemisia annua is really essential to the creation of a profitable agro-sanitary sector, which is less costly to consumers and more sustainable for a youth with adequate skills.

"We need to change mindsets and create opportunities in agriculture, and we will see more entrepreneurs. If young people also benefit from a more dynamic entrepreneurial culture, they will be able to ensure their own prosperity and create jobs," he says.