The TropIKA.net News section generally contains a mixture of good and bad. Reports of a possible resurgence of onchocerciasis are extremely alarming. In contrast, the appropriate use of innovative technologies is always encouraging and a story from South Africa of the introduction of miniature aircraft to transport clinical samples makes for interesting reading.

News of the seizure of a vast supply of fake drugs in Southeast Asia is also encouraging, in that it shows the authorities are achieving some success against the counterfeiters, but sadly it underlines just how severe this problem has become. Amongst the drugs seized were many fake artemisinin treatments for malaria that did contain the active ingredient but only in very low doses, raising the risk of the development of resistance.

Meanwhile, new moves are being taken to find ways of increasing the availability and affordability of artemisinin. We report on a recent conference of the Artemisinin Enterprise and on a new publication from this organization.

Other reports published recently include a look at ‘supply-side’ issues in the antimalarials market in Uganda, produced by the Medicines for Malaria Venture, and a discussion of the spread of tropical infections from an Australian perspective published by the Lowy Institute.

We continue our TropIKA.net Profiles series with an interview with malaria researcher Dr Chetan Chitnis of the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology. The work he and his colleagues are doing in New Delhi is a key part of international efforts to develop vaccines for malaria. When work of such importance is being conducted in a disease-endemic nation, there is certainly every reason to feel encouraged.