The World Health Organization has announced the approval of the world’s first malaria drug specifically intended for infants, explaining that the artemether-lumefantrine combination formulation was designed especially for newborns and infants weighing up to 5 kilograms.
The drug could help close a healthcare gap affecting around 30 million infants born each year in malaria-endemic areas across Africa.
Until now, many of them have been treated with doses intended for older children, which carries the risk of side effects.
The organization recommends the use of insecticide-treated mosquito nets for infants and adults to reduce exposure to mosquito bites as much as possible from the outset.
According to WHO data, children under the age of five account for 75% of malaria-related deaths.
