In giving Youyou Tu the prize, the Nobel Prize committee has recognized the role ancient knowledge can play in the modern world. PHOTO: New Scientist
Traditional Chinese medicine has found its Nobel Prize moment. A cure for malaria. And its origin is marked by war, military, learning, and more.
The Quartz reports:
In the war, the North Vietnamese were not just fighting American-supported forces but also failing to fight malaria. The parasite that caused the disease had developed resistance against chloroquine, which was commonly used as treatment. So, in desperation, they turned to China’s leader, Mao Zedong, for help. Mao’s answer was to make searching for a new malaria drug a military project.
Organikos 