GENEVA, April 25 (Bernama-dpa) -- The World Health Organisation (WHO) has for the first time assessed and approved a malaria drug for infants, officials said on Friday, reported German news agency dpa.
The version of the combination drug artemether-lumefantrine is specifically tailored for newborns and babies weighing up to 5 kilogrammes, the WHO said ahead of World Malaria Day, marked on April 25.
The drug could help close a gap in care for the approximately 30 million babies born each year in malaria-endemic areas across Africa.
So far, many are treated with doses intended for older children, which comes with a risk of side effects.
The WHO recommends insecticide-treated mosquito nets for babies and adults to prevent mosquito bites as far as possible from the outset.
Children younger than 5 years old accounted for 75 per cent of malaria-related deaths, according to WHO data. Some 95 per cent of malaria cases are reported from Africa, as are 95 per cent of deaths.
In 2024, there were 265 million cases and 579,000 deaths.
Vaccines have been available that offer young children some protection against the mosquito-borne disease for several years.
The WHO approval means countries can authorise the drug even if they lack the capacity to conduct extensive clinical trials themselves. It also means UN agencies can purchase it, and, where governments allow, use it in nations where the disease is found.
--BERNAMA-dpa
