The world’s first malaria treatment specifically designed for infants and very young children has been approved and is set for rollout in high-risk African countries within weeks. Until now, babies under 5 kilograms, or 11 pounds, had no tailored medication, forcing doctors to use drugs meant for older children and raising risks of overdose and toxicity.
This matters deeply because malaria killed around 597,000 people in 2023, mostly in Africa. Seventy-five percent of those deaths were children under five, many under six months old. A dangerous treatment gap meant existing drugs were not dosed safely for babies’ developing livers.
The new lifesaver is called Coartem Baby, also known as Riamet Baby. It was developed by Novartis and Medicines for Malaria Venture and approved by Swiss regulators after trials in eight African nations. Novartis will distribute it near cost, prioritizing the hardest-hit regions to ensure affordable access.
Dr. Marvelle Brown of the University of Hertfordshire described it as a major breakthrough, especially for babies with sickle cell disease who face higher malaria mortality due to weakened immunity. Martin Fitchet, CEO of Medicines for Malaria Venture, said with the right tools, malaria can be eliminated and this drug closes a critical gap for the most vulnerable.
The next steps include the imminent rollout in African nations with high malaria burdens. There is hope that this new treatment will reduce infant deaths where malaria remains a leading killer.
