New baby malaria drug could save thousands of African newborns, researcher says
A Ugandan health expert has welcomed the approval of the world’s first malaria drug designed specifically for newborn babies, calling it a long-overdue breakthrough for countries still battling high infection and death rates from the disease.
Speaking to GSW, Krystal Birungi, a scientist at Target Malaria, said the new drug addresses a major treatment gap that has put thousands of infants at risk across Africa.
According to her, the announcement is especially important for Uganda, where malaria remains the leading cause of death among children.
“Malaria remains the number one killer of children under the age of 5,” she said. “So this is something that doctors are struggling with,” she added, “because treating babies under the age of 5, but only having doses available for children over 5kg, meant that you're risking toxicity, increased toxicity when you're treating these children. And it was really a challenge.”
The latest malaria figures show Uganda continues to carry a heavy burden, with more than 16,000 deaths in a single year. Most of the victims are children under five, especially newborns who have limited access to safe treatment options.
Developed by Novartis and approved by Swiss authorities, the drug will now be rolled out in several African countries, including Uganda.
It has been designed for babies weighing under 5kg, an age group previously left out of malaria treatment plans.
“For that mother with a newborn facing this disease, with no safe medicine available, it has been heartbreaking,” Krystal said. “This is excellent news. We’re making ground," she added.
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
