The first ever prequalified treatment against malaria-artemether-lumefantrine, designed for infants, was approved by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
The medicine was developed specifically for newborns and young infants, weighing between two and five kilograms.
WHO said the medicine meets international standards of quality, safety and efficacy, and will help to expand access to quality-assured treatment.
Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, said “for centuries, malaria has stolen children from their parents, and health, wealth and hope from communities. But today, the story is changing. New vaccines, diagnostic tests, next-generation mosquito nets and effective medicines, including those adapted for the youngest, are helping to turn the tide. Ending malaria in our lifetime is no longer a dream – it is a real possibility, but only with sustained political and financial commitment. Now we can. Now we must.”
About 900,000 children under 5 years, died of malaria each year in Africa, according to an independent researcher, Roger Dobson, of the Centre for Biotechnology Information.
Picture: Africa Health Organisation.