New malaria treatment for newborns offers hope in the fight against child mortality
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It was announced in early July that Novartis has received approval for the first malaria drug designed to treat babies and very young children under 4.5kg.
The drug is set to be rolled out to eight countries in Africa in the coming weeks, including Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Tanzania and Uganda.
"The approval of this medication is very timely and important; for too long, the youngest and most vulnerable have been left out of life-saving malaria treatment,” says Jane Achan, Principal Advisor at Malaria Consortium.
Dr Achan also recently spoke with Devex about the approval, and its potential to save infant lives.
The medication, known as Coartem Baby or Riamet Baby in some countries, has already been approved to treat young children, but presents a risk of overdose if administered to babies.
Now the manufacturers have designed a new formulation that is suitable for this age group. The drug is an artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT), a type of medication used to treat uncomplicated malaria.
In the past, this demographic has been routinely excluded from clinical research for treatments, due to concerns around safely dosing infants. That’s why this approval represents a major leap forward for saving the lives of young children in countries affected by malaria. In 2022, children under the age of five accounted for about 76 percent of all malaria deaths globally.
The approval comes at a time when concerns are growing around the rise of artemisinin resistance across Africa. This is why it’s vital that these treatments are employed appropriately. “Now, as we roll out the new treatment, it's essential that health workers are trained on how to use Coartem Baby correctly,” Achan says.
This approval marks a welcome scientific advance but, at the same time, underscores the importance of equitable access to quality healthcare for those most at risk. As countries prepare to introduce the new treatment, its impact will be felt most if it is integrated into broader efforts to strengthen health systems, with effectively trained frontline health workers to ensure appropriate use.
Malaria Consortium remains committed to supporting the effective rollout of such innovations to reduce child mortality, address emerging drug resistance and advance towards a world free from malaria.