In this interview with Sade Oguntola, Professor Olugbenga Mokuolu, a consultant pediatrician and the Nigeria Malaria Technical Director, National Malaria Elimination Programme, talks about malaria and what is critical to ending its burden in Nigeria.

What is the prevalence of malaria in Nigeria?

Currently, Nigeria is said to have about 61 million cases. Prevalence is about 23% when a general check is made on children up to 10 years. Africa still faces a steep challenge with malaria because 90 percent of the 241 million cases and 95 percent deaths were from the continent. Nigeria is responsible for 27 percent of this caseload and about 31 percent of the global malaria deaths.

What innovation can be adopted to reduce the malaria burden and save lives?

Innovation has to do with new tools or new ways of using the same device. In this regard, innovation has to do with looking at existing tools for improvements or new tools. Retooling includes the use of new generation long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs) to combat the problems of insecticide resistance. On this note, Nigeria has been using the Piperonyl butoxide (PBO)-LLINs in the last two years for the net campaigns to address insecticide resistance issues.

Other tools include the use of indoor residual spray (IRS) to rapidly reduce the burden of malaria in very high burden areas and the introduction of seasonal malaria chemoprevention (SMC). In this intervention, children under five are given specific antimalarials in monthly cycles of 4 cycles in states or areas with high intensity of seasonal rainfall patterns.

In addition is retooling of existing drugs for curtailment of the emerging challenges of artemisinin resistance; need for new medications to improve the landscape for treatment; diagnostic tools like diagnostic panels with integrated multiple test kits possibly for a one-stop distinction of viral, bacterial or malaria infections.

Adoption and deploying of the malaria vaccine as a complementary strategy is also important as well as innovative funding mechanisms through public and private partnerships. Similarly is developing a business case and having an assured market for manufacturers of malaria commodities while leveraging that assured market for ensuring affordable prices of the commodities.

How close is Nigeria to achieving the 2030 targets of the WHO global malaria strategy?

Currently, we have made progress, but we are still off the trajectory for the 2030 targets. This was, however, as per the last conducted surveys in 2018. With some additional innovative interventions like the massive scale-up of SMC and the use of PBO nets, it is possible that the 2021 malaria indicator survey may offer new information about our current trajectory.

Malaria can also cause low blood sugar, kidney failure, or seizures. Are there other lesser-known symptoms of the mosquito-borne disease? How is malaria related to things like malaise, joint stiffness, muscle pain, anemia, and shortness of breath?

Malaria causes a progressive illness. When someone gets infected, the parasite multiplies. When these parasites burst the cells in the blood, they release a variety of substances that are responsible for the fever, joint pains, headaches, and all the feelings of being unwell (malaise). At this stage, we call it uncomplicated malaria. This is usually the stage we go for treatment with our primary care physician or other sources. If this is not treated effectively or in some category of persons, the disease progresses, and life-threatening complications set in. These comprise loss of consciousness, convulsions, extreme paleness, fast breathing or breathing difficulties, dark urine, and so on. At this level of illness, it is called severe malaria. The individual must be hospitalized for critical care.

Is it all mosquitoes that transmit malaria, and is it all bites of mosquitoes that lead to malaria disease?

Specifically, malaria is transmitted by the bite of the female anopheles mosquito. The interesting thing about this mosquito is that it does not make noise. It bites silently. It bites mostly at night.

How true is it that no single tool available today can solve the problem of malaria?

This is very true, but we need to understand the context of that answer. Malaria is the product of interactions between man, his environment and the mosquito which acts as a vector. By vector, we mean an intermediary that allows the parasite to develop without causing any harm to the host and thereby facilitates transmission. So, from first principles, the effective solution to malaria include – addressing the vector, killing them or preventing them having contact with man, destroying their natural habitats to ensure that mosquitoes do not survive, preventing the onset of illness in man, treating the illness when it occurs or preventing the ability to transmit the illness from one person to another.

From this simple illustration, we can appreciate that no single solution can address every dimension of the malaria programme. That is the critical lesson we have learnt in the fight against malaria and that is why we promote a package of interventions consisting of prevention, treatment, and avoiding continuous transmission.

What other diseases can you get from mosquitoes apart from malaria?

There are a number of other diseases. Some of these include Zika virus infection, yellow fever, West Nile fever, and Dengue fever. Some of these are transmitted by other types of mosquitoes as well.

Drug-resistant malaria is emerging in Africa. What is the situation in Nigeria and what can Nigeria do to get ready for this?

Currently, what have been identified are resistance markers in Uganda and Malawi. The situation is being monitored closely as this is for now referred to as partial resistance. As you rightly observed, the National Malaria Elimination Programme, under the leadership of Dr. Mrs. Perpetua Uhomoibhi, together with partners are responding to this development. There has been some technical consultation to review the situation. Currently, there is a study about the use of Tripple ACTs i.e. adding a third drug to existing ACTs to prevent resistance.

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In Africa, it is said that some malaria parasites are evading detection tests, causing an urgent threat to public health. Can you explain?

Malaria rapid diagnostic tests are of two types. There is a third type that is not in common use. Of the two in common use, there is one that is most widespread in use. This type of mRDT is based on detecting the presence of a certain substance on the wall of the parasite. This substance is called Histidine Rich Protein II (written as PfHRP-2). In a very small fraction of malaria parasites, this PfHRP-2 is missing. Hence in those cases, the test may be erroneously reported as negative (false negative). Space and technicality may not allow me to give a full description. However, please be informed that the rate of occurrence of this phenomenon is so low in Nigeria and in many countries that it has no impact on the reliability of the mRDT.

New research from Uganda and Mali suggests malaria exposure might lower the incidence of severe disease, hospitalisation and death for people exposed to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. What is your view on this?

It is probably true. The fact remains that COVID-19 was less frequent and less severe among African countries, particularly the lower income African countries. So, if we trace the COVID-19 trajectory in Africa, the incidence is much lower in countries endemic for malaria, most of which are lower and low-middle income countries, and some other characteristics. From that epidemiological point, we need to ask what is unique about these countries. This is compounded by the fact that African-Americans in America or the blacks in other countries are disproportionately affected by COVID-19. That will appear to rule out a genetic basis of this relative protection from COVID-19. The pattern of distribution is pointing strongly in the direction of environmental factors primarily modulating the disease and this may play some roles in the response of persons exposed to those environmental factors.

This is how science operates. Steps include a careful observation of the pattern of distribution of a disease, drawing up a hypothesis of the associations and exploring the hypothesis through some experiments (as in the studies you referred to). Thereafter, there will be a presentation to relevant authorities for peer review and now an adoption of the finding to inform other actions. I must say that while the stated study may be providing some evidence to support the malaria exposure theory, the claims will still be properly researched before definite statements will be made by the WHO.

How can Nigeria advance equity, build resilience and end malaria?

By equity, we are referring to every eligible person receiving antimalarial commodities or services according to their need irrespective of age, gender, location, or financial status. So, we need to maintain the current approach of universal distribution for some of the interventions, strengthen community systems to reach people in hard-to-reach areas, get products freely to the general masses, or ensure they are affordable.

On resilience, we need to increase budgetary allocation to malaria so that services are not interrupted. Contributions from partners can be used to address items distributed through mass campaigns; building and expanding capacities in other areas of malaria interventions such as entomology, molecular skills, putting in place robust surveillance systems. After that, we need protocols for responding to unforeseen major health problems such as pandemics and epidemics. These measures and the innovations indicated previously are critical elements toward ending malaria. This year’s catchphrase is ‘Every Effort Counts’. We must do all possible to engage everyone. Mobilise the community health workforce towards the quality of care; engage the private sector and promote public enlightenment.

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When Marvel dropped their film, Black Panther, in 2018, it was met by an immense celebration from the Black community that unsurprisingly caused the film to bank over a billion dollars in ticket sales. Black Panther became the top grossing superhero film ever, according to The Hollywood Reporter. 

The storyline of King T’Challa protecting his fictional kingdom, the technologically advanced society of Wakanda, from outsiders resonated with the comic book fanbase, many of whom tried to submit their passports to visit the exclusive African destination.

While the possibility of traveling to an imaginary Wakanda is not plausible, chef Nyanyika Banda created a cookbook to provide enthusiasts with a culinary trip to the mythical nation, Today reports.

 Banda, a Malawian American who earned Culinary Degree from Madison College in 2012, concocted 70 recipes to make up “The Official Wakanda Cookbook” and did so within three months, it is now available since April 12.

“I definitely felt a combination of pressure and pride,” said Banda to The Washington Post. She is also a freelance writer. “The lore of Black Panther and what Wakanda means now socially is so important, not just for Black Americans but to people of African descent around the world.”

Before signing on with Marvel to work on the project, Banda consumed various Black Panther comics and immersed herself in fan-created websites to gain a deeper understanding of the characters and the country of Wakanda rather than solely relying on the film.

Jennifer Simms, Banda’s editor at Insight Editions, the publisher of the Wakanda cookbook, didn’t want the recipes to represent a generic Africa, “We wanted to make sure we weren’t trying to represent Africa as having one food culture,” she says.

Both women worked closely with Marvel’s team to produce dishes that upheld the storytelling of the comic book. 

 “We would talk about whether or not they felt like it would be a part of Wakanda,” said Banda. “I wanted there to be integrity within the dish, but also have integrity in terms of storytelling.”

Through her research, Banda’s recipes reflected the folklore of Wakandan culture. For instance, Wakanda boasts a lake, so Banda considered creating fish dishes. According to the Marvel comics, Wakanda is situated in sub-Saharan Africa, where food items like cassava, mangoes, and meat from goats would be plentiful. Also taken from the film where tribal leader M’Baku barks at the CIA agent character and threatens to feed him to his children but quips that he’s a vegetarian, inspired Banda to develop dishes that included eggplants and herbs.

For the Dora Milaje, Wakanda’s all-female military warriors, Banda was motivated to invent a smoked mushroom jerky, “I imagined it would be something that would be fueling but that would carry well,” she says, The Washington Post reports.

Banda also designed a savory sweet and spicy oxtail with cassava dumplings, okra fritters, basbousa, a creamy cake, and a tamarind cola to wash down the Wakandan cuisine, according to Today. 

“I think that’s such a beautiful part of (Wakanda) being this fictional place,” she remarked. “Definitely, the impact that ‘Black Panther’ has socially right now for us, and this time and age was always something that I was like taking consideration to when thinking about the recipes.”

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It was about five years ago that Patrick Lyoya first stepped into Restoration Community Church, a small United Methodist congregation just outside Grand Rapids, Mich. He was a new face, but he had a familiar story.

Like most of the congregation, Lyoya belonged to a sprawling African diaspora in Grand Rapids who came to the United States seeking safety and a better life. In Lyoya’s case, his family arrived as refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2014. They had escaped war and fear of persecution, and after more than a decade in a refugee camp, they seemed to have finally found a haven in Michigan.

America meant opportunity for the family, so when Banza Mukalay, the pastor at Restoration Community Church and himself a refugee from Congo, met Lyoya, he could sense a promising life ahead.

“He was a very young [man] who had the future, he had something in it,” Mukalay said. “You [could] see him just trying to look for himself how he [could] be better in the future.”

That future came to a sudden and tragic end earlier this month when Lyoya was shot and killed by a Grand Rapids police officer after he was pulled over for allegedly driving with an unregistered license plate. Video of the April 4 traffic stop released by the Grand Rapids police showed a brief foot chase followed by a struggle over the white officer’s Taser. The video ends with the officer shooting Lyoya in the back of the head while he was facedown on the ground. Lyoya was 26.

The harrowing video of Lyoya’s final moments has spawned days of protest in Grand Rapids over the death of yet another Black man at the hands of law enforcement. Nearly two years after George Floyd’s murder sparked a nationwide reckoning over racial injustice and police misconduct, Lyoya’s case, for many, represents a measure of the steep challenges that persist.

Yet for those who knew Lyoya, he is not a symbol. They knew him as a son, a brother and a father — a person of faith whose life was inextricably shaped by war. They remember him as someone who was quiet and kind, someone who loved music and soccer, but someone who loved his two children above everything else.

He worked hard and brought others joy

Lyoya was born in Congo — the first of Peter and Dorcas Lyoya’s six children. In an interview with the Detroit Free Press last week, his parents remembered him as a kid who always brought them joy.

“He is the type of person that you will love to be around,” Dorcas Lyoya said, adding that he excelled at putting her “in a good mood to make me laugh.”

Lyoya was born at a moment when war was just beginning to split their nation — a conflict with roots in the genocide in neighboring Rwanda and which ultimately resulted in the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people. The war would end in 1997, but only one year later a new conflict would erupt. Known as the Great War of Africa, it would last until 2003 and cost an estimated 3.8 million lives by one count.

War took the family from their home, and for 11 years they lived in a refugee camp, according to Robert Womack, a member of the Kent County Board of Commissioners in Grand Rapids who has been helping organize a funeral service for Lyoya scheduled for Friday. They were living in Malawi when they won asylum to live in the U.S., arriving in 2014 as part of a wave of refugees settling in Michigan from Congo.

In Grand Rapids, Lyoya’s parents landed odd jobs to make ends meet. Dorcas worked in a laundromat; Peter worked in a nursing home.

Lyoya, who was just entering adulthood around the time of the family’s U.S. arrival, soon went to work too. He worked in a small manufacturing plant helping to make auto parts, his father told the Detroit Free Press. He also worked at a turkey farm, according to Womack, as well as at a vacuum cleaner and appliance store.

Ramazani Malisawa, 33, says he worked with Lyoya at the appliance store for about six months starting around 2018. Malisawa, who is also from Congo, says they would often eat lunch together and talk about their lives in Africa and how it was they arrived in the United States. But he says these talks would only happen around lunch, because when it came to work, Lyoya was intensely focused.

Bill Pugliano / Getty Images

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“When he is working, he was not talking,” Malisawa said. “He was just focused on the work. He was a good worker and worked hard.”

It’s not that he was in love with the job, Malisawa said, but that it was important for him to be able to one day afford to send his two young daughters to school. He said he remembered Lyoya once telling him: “My kids, they will know we had a father, and our father — he worked hard.”

Outside of work, Lyoya enjoyed soccer, music and dancing. Womack said Lyoya would even teach Congolese dance traditions in clubs around Grand Rapids, and he shared the story of one local club owner who once watched Lyoya giving lessons.

“They said basically it was just peaceful and a joy,” according to Womack. “And even though some of the Americans that worked there didn’t understand the language, they said the vibe was just priceless … the vibe of joy in watching Patrick and his friends laugh and smile and dance.”

Lyoya also found community through his faith. Mukalay, the pastor at Restoration Community Church, said Lyoya wasn’t like many of the young adults he meets at the church.

“Some young people, they just come and then one day, two days, one month and then they quit or they just drop out,” Mukalay said. “He was ready to continue with us for a long time. So that’s why I say he was a young [man] who had the decision to do something better in life.”

His death has devastated the refugee community

Community leaders like Womack and Mukalay said Lyoya’s death has been particularly painful for the city’s Congolese population — a community that came to the U.S. to escape violence and felt they had found safety after years of war. It’s a grief, they say, that has forever changed their view of America.

“The difference between the Congolese families and some of the African American families who’ve been affected by state violence is the fact that the Congolese families are hurt and shocked that this could happen in the United States of America,” said Womack. “When I deal with African American families, they are hurt and mad, but they’re never shocked.”

Mustafa Hussain / AFP via Getty Images

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AFP via Getty Images

It’s a sentiment Lyoya’s mother shared with reporters during an April 14 news conference when the family called for criminal charges to be brought against the officer who killed her son. The shooting is under investigation by the Michigan State Police, but authorities have not released the name of the officer.

“I thought that we came to a safe land, a haven, a safe place,” she said, speaking through an interpreter. “And I start thinking now, I’m surprised and astonished to see that my friend — it is here that my son has been killed with bullets.”

“I was thinking it was my son who would bury me,” she said, “but I am the one burying my son.”

Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

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Soulja Boy is an American hip-hop artist, producer, and savvy entrepreneur. He joined the game in the mid-2000s and has grown to become one of the biggest rappers in the game. He rose to international fame following the release of his 2007 debut single, Crank That (Soulja Boy), which peaked at number 1 on the US Billboard Hot 100. Keep reading to learn more about Soulja Boy’s net worth, career and personal life.

Big Draco loved rapping from a young age and was lucky to have a father who supported his dreams. By the time he was 17, he had one of the biggest rap songs. He is also one of the first rappers to use social media platforms to promote his tracks.

Soulja Boy’s profile summary and bio

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• Real name: DeAndre Cortez Way
• Other names: Big Draco
• Date of birth: 28th July 1990
• Age: 31 years in 2022
• Birth sign: Leo
• Place of birth: Chicago, Illinois
• Nationality: American
• Ethnicity: Afro-American
• Soulja Boy’s height: 5 feet 8 inches (1.73 m)
• Gender: Male
• Sexuality: Straight
• Relationship status: Dating
• Girlfriend: Hairstylist Jackie
• Parents: Tracy and Carlisa Way
• Siblings: Three brothers; Tracy Jr, John, and Deion Jenkins
• Education: South Panola High School
• Profession: Hip-hop artist, actor, producer, businessman
• Instruments: Vocals
• Years active: 2004 to date
• Record label: Virgin Music (since 2021)
• Net worth: Approximately $30 million
• Instagram: @souljaboy
• Twitter: @souljaboy
• YouTube: @Soulja Boy

Soulja Boy’s net worth

The rapper has an estimated net worth of $30 million in 2022. He earns from music, acting, and various entrepreneurial ventures. He owns several assets, including a mansion in Agoura Hills, California, and a collection of expensive cars.

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Soulja Boy’s music career

Draco had a passion for hip-hop since childhood. His dad had a recording studio in their family home, where he nurtured his son in various aspects of the art. He started uploading his songs on SoundClick in 2005 and later joined YouTube and other streaming platforms.

The rapper released his breakout track, Crank That (Soulja Boy), in March 2007. The song reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 by September that year and remained on the chart for seven weeks. It even won him a Grammy nomination and became the first single of any hip-hop artist to sell more than three million digital copies.

Other top Soulja Boy songs include:

• Soulja Boy’s Squid Game (2021)
• She Make It Clap (2021)
• Actavis (2015)
• Turn My Swag On (2009)
• Kiss Me Thru the Phone (2008)
• Pretty Boy Swag (2010)
• Blowing Me Kisses (2010)

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The hip-hop star released his first independent album, Unsigned & Still Major: Da Album Before da Album, in March 2007. Draco’s major studio debut album, Souljaboytellem.com, came out in October 2007. He followed it up with several other albums, Eps, and mixtapes, including;

• Big Draco 1, 2, and 3 (2021 to 2022)
• Young Drako (2018)
• Loyalty (2015)
• All Black EP (2013)
• The DeAndre Way (2010)
• iSouljaBoyTellem (2008)
• King Soulja series

DeAndre founded his record label, Stack on Deck Entertainment (SODMG), in 2004. Several artists, including 24hrs and Lil 100, are signed to the Los Angeles-based label. Way is currently signed to Virgin Music since 2021.

Soulja Boy’s movies and TV shows

The rapper has appeared in several movies and television shows, including;

• Love & Hip Hop: Hollywood (2014 t0 2016) as himself
• The Bachelorette (2013 in Season 9) as himself
• Officer Down (2013) as Rudy
• Soulja Boy: The Movie (2011) as himself

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Soulja Boy’s age and early life

Draco was born on 28th July 1990 in Chicago, Illinois, United States. His family relocated to Atlanta, Georgia, when he was six, and he later went to stay with his dad in Batesville, Mississippi, when he was 14. Soulja Boy’s parents are Tracy and Carlisa Way.

Way had a younger brother called Deion Jenkins, who met his sudden demise in March 2022 in a car crash. His other siblings include John Way and Tracy Lee Jenkins.

Soulja Boy memes

Draco’s influence goes beyond rap. In 2019, he claimed his comeback was the greatest of all time compared with rapper Drake and his reaction to people thinking otherwise inspired online memes.

What is Soulja Boy’s new name?

The artist’s initial stage name was Soulja Boy Tell’ Em, but he later decided to go with Soulja Boy. His other moniker is Big Draco. Soulja Boy’s real name is DeAndre Cortez Way.

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What was Soulja Boy’s biggest hit?

His greatest song is his 2007 debut single, Crank That (Soulja Boy). The track was number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and remained on the chart for seven weeks in September 2007. Rolling Stone magazine listed it at number 21 on the list of the 100 Best Songs of 2007.

Who is Soulja Boy in a relationship with?

The rapper is in a low-key relationship with the hairstylist and cosmetologist Jackie. He shocked fans in March 2022 when he uploaded a video on Soulja Boy’s Instagram revealing that they would soon be parents to a baby boy. The artist has been linked to several ladies in the past, including Keri Hilson, Diamond, Teyana Taylor, Lil Mama, Nia Riley, and adult model Rubi Rose.

Who was the 1st rapper on YouTube?

Draco often claims to be among the top game-changers in the hip-hop industry. YouTube was launched on 14th February 2005, and the rapper uploaded his first video in March 2006. He claims his video was the first rap to be uploaded on the streaming platform.

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Soulja Boy has been in the hip-hop industry for over 15 years, and his impact on the game is still being felt. His savvy entrepreneurial skills have also placed him at the top and contributed to his growing net worth.

READ ALSO: Who is Stelle Ciccone? All you need to know about Madonna’s adopted daughter

Briefly.co.za published the biography of Stelle Ciccone, one of Madonna’s adopted twins from Malawi. Stelle and her twin sister Estere lost their mother when they were a few days old, and their father decided to take them to an orphanage because he did not have the means to care for them.

In 2017, when the Queen of Pop visited Malawi, their father agreed for her to adopt the twin girls. Madonna has two other kids that she adopted from Malawi, in addition to her two biological kids.

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Source: Briefly News

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