THE first malaria treatment suitable for babies and very young children has been approved for use.
It’s expected to be rolled out in African countries within weeks.
Until now there have been no approved malaria drugs specifically for babies.
Instead they have been treated with versions formulated for older children which presents a risk of overdose.
In 2023 – the year for which the most recent figures are available – malaria was linked to around 597,000 deaths.
Almost all of the deaths were in Africa, and around three quarters of them were children under five years old.
Malaria treatments for children do exist but until now, there was none specifically for the very youngest babies and small children, who weigh less than 4.5kg or around 10lb.
Instead they have been treated with drugs designed for older children.
But that presents risks, as doses for these older children may not be safe for babies, whose liver functions are still developing and whose bodies process medicines differently.
Experts say this has led to what is described as a “treatment gap”.
Now a new medicine, developed by the drug company Novartis, has been approved by the Swiss authorities and is likely to be rolled out in regions and countries with the highest rates of malaria within weeks.
Novartis is planning to introduce it on a largely not-for-profit basis.
