Every so often a scientific breakthrough connects a crucial problem to a potential solution, thereby catching the public imagination and raising awareness of the methods and knowledge involved. So it is with the publication yesterday of the genetic codes of the organism that causes malaria and of the mosquito which carries it.
The discoveries were described with justice as "an extraordinary moment in the history of science" by Dr Carlos Morel, research director on tropical diseases for major United Nations programmes. And they merited a specific welcome by Mr Kofi Annan, the UN Secretary General.
Malaria is truly one of the world's most dangerous diseases. An estimated 2.7 million people are killed by it every year, half of them sub-Saharan Africans under the age of five. Up to 40 per cent of the world's population is exposed to the disease, concentrated in the tropical regions. It is so debilitating that an effective preventative programme could raise annual outputs and income by at least one third in many affected countries.
This breakthrough will make it far easier to develop drugs, vaccines, insecticides and repellents capable of tackling the disease and its symptoms. Whereas scientists had far less idea of precisely what they were targeting before these genetic blueprints were identified, they will now be able to be much more specific in their research. They will also be able to tackle the question of increasing resistance to existing cures and preventative methods far more effectively.
Such a great boon is readily appreciated by non-scientists. It serves to underline the revolutionary changes in understanding that have flowed from the science of genetics in recent years. It is also a reminder that the goal of science is to improve the human condition.
Mr Annan stressed yesterday that the benefits of this breakthrough will only be optimised if they are made equally available. As we know from research on AIDS, which is rapidly becoming as dangerous as malaria, appropriate drugs can be priced beyond the reach of those who need them most. There is much money to be made from these findings as more effective anti-malaria drugs are brought to market. It will take sustained pressure to ensure they are fairly distributed. That task will be made easier by the knowledge that so many wasted lives can be saved after these discoveries.