Swiss regulators have approved the first malaria treatment safe for infants. The new drug is specifically formulated for newborns and infants under five kilograms, an age group previously left out of treatment plans.

Kampala

A new malaria drug, tailored for infants and known as Cortem baby or Riamet baby, has received approval from Swiss regulators. This marks a significant development for countries like Uganda, where malaria remains a leading cause of illness and death among children under five. Until now, existing vaccines and treatments were only suitable for older children, making it difficult to safely treat newborns and infants.

The new medication combines two antimalarials and allows for more accurate dosing, which is critical to avoid overdose and prevent the rise of drug resistance. The drug will be rolled out in Uganda and seven other African countries, aiming to address a major gap in malaria treatment for the youngest and most vulnerable patients.

New malaria drug brings hope for infants in Uganda

Fresh hope for babies born with malaria as the first vaccine safe for infants gets the green light from Swiss regulators. It's a potential game-changer, especially here in Uganda, where over 12 million cases and nearly 16,000 deaths were recorded in 2023. Until now, the vaccines available were only suitable for older children, making administering them to babies a medical minefield. We are beginning to get children below six months coming in with malaria. Some are born with malaria, and that is what we refer to as congenital malaria. Some come in with infection, infections during the neonatal period that's below one month. And the treatment has been quite challenging, because we are giving them the dose that is given to those that have four kilograms to, that have five kilograms to 14 kilograms, which was a bit challenging because the key question was, was that the right amount for their kind of kilograms? Because normally those children are below five kilograms. Like the newborns, most of them will be between 2.5 to 4.5. The newly approved drug, known as Cortem baby or Riamet baby, combines two antimalarials tailored for infants. Accurate dosing is critical as mistakes not only risk overdose, but also fuel dangerous resistance. Now that we have this new medicine, we are going to be able to respond to a need, to a gap. Otherwise, before the risk was that when you're not giving accurate treatment, we are seeing the rise of antimalarial resistance. That means that the malaria drugs are not working as they should because of things like the dosages not being accurate for babies. Malaria remains the leading cause of illness and death in children under five, including newborns in Uganda. The new infant-friendly drug will be rolled out in Uganda and seven other countries across Africa, including Burkina Faso and Nigeria.

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Jerusalem

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Ukraine Invasion

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North Carolina

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East Coast of the United States

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Breakdown