The World Health Organisation (WHO) has prequalified the first malaria treatment specifically designed for newborns and small infants, marking a significant shift in addressing a critical gap in global malaria care. The treatment, artemether lumefantrine, is formulated for babies weighing between two and five kilograms, replacing the use of medicines meant for older children which carry risks of dosing errors and toxicity in infants. WHO confirmed the approval on Friday, stating that prequalification ensures the drug meets international standards for quality, safety, and efficacy, enabling broader access through public procurement systems. This development coincides with World Malaria Day, observed globally on April 25.
The agency highlighted that around 30 million babies born annually in malaria-endemic regions across Africa have previously lacked appropriate treatment options. In addition, WHO prequalified three new rapid diagnostic tests on April 14 that detect the pf LDH protein, offering reliable results in areas where malaria strains lack the HRP2 protein and evade standard tests. In parts of the Horn of Africa, up to 80 per cent of cases had been missed by HRP2-based tests, leading to delayed treatment and increased risks of severe illness. WHO advises countries to switch to the new tests when more than five per cent of cases are being missed.
According to WHO Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus, the 2025 World Malaria Report estimates 282 million cases and 610,000 deaths in 2024, showing an increase despite recent malaria-free certifications in some countries. He attributed stalled progress to drug and insecticide resistance, diagnostic limitations, and funding shortfalls, while urging sustained political will and financing in line with the World Malaria Day theme, Driven to End Malaria.
Tedros Ghebreyesus points to rising malaria deaths even as new tools are rolled out, exposing a gap between innovation and impact. The 610,000 deaths in 2024 suggest that access to these new treatments and diagnostics remains out of reach for the most vulnerable. Infants in malaria-endemic regions may have a tailored drug now, but without immediate delivery systems, the benefit is theoretical. A test that works where others fail means little if it does not reach clinics where 80 per cent of cases are already being missed.
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