First Baby-Safe Malaria Medicine

For the first time ever, a malaria treatment specifically designed for babies has been approved, marking a crucial step forward in global health. Malaria is a dangerous disease transmitted by infected mosquito bites, especially from the Anopheles mosquito, and it can cause fever, chills, and even death if not treated quickly.

Babies and young children are the most at risk because their immune systems are still developing. Until now, they had to take smaller doses of medicine made for older children, which could be unsafe since babies process medicine differently. The company Novartis developed the new baby-safe treatment. Novartis is a global healthcare company based in Switzerland, focusing on innovative medicines. The treatment is expected to be used in African countries within the next few weeks, where malaria is most common, as 94% of the 263 million global cases in 2023 were in Africa.

Novartis explained that it will not make a profit from this medicine, which will help make it affordable for families in need. This new treatment contributes to the efforts already in place to combat malaria, such as the malaria vaccine approved by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2021, which has helped reduce the number of deaths in young children.

Nevertheless, since the vaccine doesn’t prevent all cases, a safe and effective treatment for babies who still contract malaria is a huge improvement. Health experts say this approval is a historic moment that will help save lives and give even the smallest and most vulnerable children a better chance at surviving this deadly disease, making the world safer from the most dangerous animals.