WHO Approves First-Ever Malaria Treatment for Newborns and Infants
The World Health Organization just prequalified the first malaria medicine specifically made for tiny babies weighing between 2 and 5 kilograms. This new formulation eliminates dosing errors and safety risks that come from giving adult drugs to infants, potentially helping millions of babies in Africa and South Asia.
Breakthrough Malaria Treatment for the Tiniest Patients
The Milestone: Just days after World Malaria Day, WHO prequalified artemether-lumefantrine — the very first malaria treatment formulation specifically designed for newborns and young infants.
What Changed:
- Old approach: Infants received drugs formulated for older children, risking dosing errors and toxicity
- New approach: Purpose-built formulation meets all global safety and efficacy standards
- Impact: Expected to improve care for millions, especially in Africa where ~30 million babies are born annually in malaria-endemic regions
Why Now Matters: This enables wider public-sector procurement, helping close a long-standing treatment gap for one of the world's most vulnerable populations. No other infant-specific malaria therapy existed before this approval.