Mosquitoes transmit malaria
Nigeria has been named among eight African countries involved in the clinical trial of the world’s first malaria treatment for newborns.
NAN reports that the infant-friendly artemether-lumefantrine treatment was approved after clinical trials in Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, and Uganda.
The formulation, which dissolves in breast milk and has a sweet flavour, is the first of its kind for children weighing less than five kilogrammes.
According to the report, Swiss regulators have already cleared the drug, while Nigeria and the other participating countries are expected to fast-track approvals under the Swiss agency’s marketing authorisation for the global health products procedure.
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Jean Kaseya, director-general (DG) of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), described the development as “a major step forward in the fight against malaria”.
Ngashi Ngongo, principal advisor to the Africa CDC DG, said the breakthrough demonstrated the continent’s capacity to drive health innovations through collaboration, stressing that Nigeria’s role was key to the trial’s success.
The Africa CDC said it would support countries to integrate the treatment into health systems by expediting approvals, updating guidelines, training health workers, and ensuring access in rural areas.
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The drug was developed by Novartis in partnership with Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV) under the PAMAfrica consortium.
