Key Points:
- New Drug for Infants: Coartem Baby treats newborns safely.
- Life-Saving Impact: Expected to reduce Uganda’s high child malaria deaths.
- Hope for Families: Being rolled out in hospitals, bringing relief to parents and health workers.
A new malaria drug specifically designed for newborns and small infants is raising hopes among health workers in Uganda, where the mosquito-borne disease remains the country’s leading killer of children. The medication, developed by Novartis and recently cleared by Swiss medical regulators, is expected to save thousands of young lives in a region where malaria accounts for nearly all childhood deaths.
A Lifesaving Gap Finally Filled
For years, treating infants with malaria posed a dangerous challenge. Newborns weighing less than 5 kilograms were too fragile for standard antimalarial drugs, forcing doctors to improvise with doses designed for older children. That often meant an increased risk of overdose, toxicity, or insufficient treatment.
The new malaria drug, marketed as Coartem Baby in some countries and Riamet Baby in others, directly addresses this gap. The sweet-tasting tablet dissolves easily in water, creating a syrup that is both safe and palatable for infants between 2 and 5 kilograms (about 4½ to 11 pounds).
Swissmedic, the country’s medical regulator, approved the new malaria drug last month under a fast-track process coordinated with the World Health Organization (WHO). The drug is expected to be distributed quickly across Africa, where children remain the most vulnerable to malaria.
Uganda’s Struggle Against Malaria
Uganda, with a population of about 45 million, reported 12.6 million malaria cases and nearly 16,000 deaths in 2023, according to WHO data. More than three-quarters of those deaths were children under 5 and pregnant women.
The country ranks among the top three most malaria-burdened nations, alongside Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The disease, spread by infected mosquitoes thriving in stagnant water, continues to overwhelm hospitals during the rainy season, when long lines of mothers with feverish babies crowd outside health centers.
Health workers say the availability of Coartem Baby could transform these outcomes. “This medicine will save many infants’ lives,” said Ronald Serufusa, Wakiso District’s top malaria official. He noted that while private pharmacies already stock limited supplies flavored with orange or mango, public hospitals are still awaiting government rollout.
Families and Health Workers Welcome the Development
The new treatment offers a personal sense of hope for parents like Alice Nekesa, a 28-year-old farmer from Kampala. Nekesa miscarried last year after undiagnosed malaria struck during her pregnancy. She said she regrets the loss, but welcomes the prospect that others might be spared her grief.
Local pediatricians also see promise. Jane Nabakooza, who works with Uganda’s malaria control program, said she expects the government will provide the medicine free of charge to patients. “Because of limited resources, our focus remains on children under 5, who are most at risk,” she said. Despite cuts to U.S. foreign aid earlier this year, some funding from the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Malaria and Tuberculosis will support distribution efforts.
The Malaria Consortium, a global nonprofit, described the approval as “a major leap forward for saving the lives of young children in countries affected by malaria.” The organization confirmed that Coartem Baby will also be rolled out in Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, and Tanzania.
Looking Ahead
Ugandan health authorities are updating clinical guidelines and training health workers to recognize malaria in newborns, even when symptoms overlap with conditions like sepsis. Early detection, combined with the availability of the new malaria drug, could mark a turning point in reducing child mortality.
Still, challenges remain. Limited resources, seasonal surges of cases, and ongoing reliance on donor funding threaten to slow the pace of progress. Yet for many Ugandan families, the introduction of the new malaria drug represents a critical step forward in the fight against malaria.
“Very, very soon, we believe this drug will reach our public health facilities,” Serufusa said. “And when it does, many babies’ lives will be saved.”
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