The Nobel Prize winners in Medicine 2015-their importance to India

Three scientists were awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine this year for the treatment of parasitic diseases which plague the developing countries, especially India- that is malaria and filariasis.

The story of the discovery of Artemisinin, is fascinating. This is obtained from the Sweet wormwood plant, Qinghaousu, Artemisia annua, which was used for centuries in China for the treatment of high fevers. Tu youyou, an expert in both Chinese medicine and Allopathic medicine discovered Artemesinin after years of research. She won the Lasker award in 2011 and the Nobel prize was long due.

According to the World Malaria Report 2014–The incidence of malaria in India accounted for 58% of cases in the South East Asia Region of WHO.

The malaria eradication program is now mainly based on the use of ACT- Artemesinin Combination Therapy as the causative parasite, Plasmodium is increasingly resistant to Chloroquine. Thus we owe a lot to Tu youyou for her contribution.

The development of the drug Ivermectin by William C. Campbell and Satoshi Omura has helped us in the control of another important parasitic infestation Filariasis or Elephantiasis in India. Diethyl carbamizine(DEC),Albendazole and Ivermectin are the primary drugs used to control this debilitating disease, caused by another parasite called Wuchereria bancrofti.

The winners have made a great contribution to allaying devastating parasitic diseases, which were becoming more and more resistant to regular therapies.

But one question still bothers us . When will we Indians find our own indigenous cures and take comprehensive medicine forward? Probably the contrast between the scientific research budget and defence budget reveals the importance we give to research. Till then let us be proud of these Nobel laureates.