(photo by Chief Mass Communication Specialist (AW) Paul DeLaughter) Dr. Jose Mendoza, director of the Clinical Trials Center, checks a patient’s blood specimen for parasites.

Forty percent of the Earth’s population lives in Malaria endemic areas and two to three people a minute die from the disease — most often children under the age of two, said Judith Epstein, a clinical investigator for the Navy Medical Research Center.

She said researchers from the Navy Medical Research Center’s Clinical Trials Center, located on the National Naval Medical Center’s campus, are currently working on a vaccine to eliminate the threat of malaria.

‘‘A vaccine is the key ... this would change the world,” Epstein said. ‘‘For the military, it would mean that our people could be deployed and we wouldn’t have to rely on medicines to prevent Malaria.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention define Malaria as a mosquito-borne disease. People who contract Malaria often experience fever, chills, and flu-like illness. If left untreated, the disease is often fatal.

Epstein said Malaria is an illness that has plagued the military for decades. She referenced a 2003 peace keeping mission in Liberia in which 80 U.S. active duty service members contracted the disease. The mission had to be aborted after just 10 to 12 days on the ground, because nearly half of the expeditionary force became ill with Malaria.

Cmdr. Cindy Tamminga, a clinical researcher at the Clinical Trials Center, said the drugs currently in use can effectively treat malaria, but the key is to defeat the disease before it needs to be treated, and a vaccine would do this.

‘‘A Soldier fighting from a fox hole doesn’t have the time to take his morning pills while dodging bullets,” said Capt. Thomas Richie, who directs the Navy component of the Military’s Malaria Vaccine Program. ‘‘A vaccine is a fire and forget approach that would completely eliminate the need to take medications while in theatre, or having to deal with their troubling side effects.”

‘‘It’s clear that Malaria, and other diseases such as Dengue Fever, need to be researched to protect American service members abroad and people who live in high risk areas across the globe,” Epstein said. ‘‘This can’t be done without volunteers.”

‘‘Because active duty service members are required to be deployable at a moment’s notice to support the Global War on Terrorism, active duty volunteerism has declined significantly,” Tamminga said.

Richie said the Navy has authorized the use of civilians in its research in order to widen the pool of volunteers for infectious disease case studies. The Navy secretary has granted approval for civilian volunteers to receive military medical treatment in the event it’s required as a result of participation in the Malaria vaccine study. He said now both civilians and active duty military are authorized to volunteer.

Kathryn Smith, clinical research recruiter for the Navy Medical Research Center, said she understands that the focus of military medicine is on the war but, she said, research cannot be forgotten.

She said many of the people who volunteer do so because they have been abroad and seen the devastation Malaria can do.

‘‘The people who volunteer do so because they want to help. They want to make a difference,” she said. ‘‘Unfortunately, in some cases these people are not eligible because they have been to endemic areas.”

‘‘People are scared of all the unknowns,” Epstein said. ‘‘But they need to know that what we are testing is as safe as we can possibly make it. We adhere to every standard and safety rule there is. The well being of our volunteers always comes first.”

Dr. Jose Mendoza, director of the Clinical Trials Center, said the Navy has more than 35 years of Malaria research under its belt. This, he said, puts the Navy at the tip of the spear in experience and knowledge regarding the disease.

‘‘Malaria is usually associated with poverty but if we can eradicate it we could improve the quality of life for millions of people,” said Mendoza, a native Venezuelan who also contracted Malaria as a young man.

‘‘If we could develop a successful Malaria vaccine it will have an impact on the world similar to the Polio vaccine,” Epstein said. ‘‘People have the opportunity to be part of something that will have a huge impact worldwide.”

(For more information or to volunteer, contact Kathryn Smith, clinical research recruiter for the Navy Medical Research Center, at (301) 233-9640.)