A Ugandan health expert has hailed the approval of the world’s first malaria drug formulated specifically for newborns as a critical and long-overdue milestone in the fight against malaria in Africa.
Krystal Birungi, a scientist with Target Malaria, emphasized that the new drug fills a significant treatment gap that has long endangered infants across the continent.
“This development is especially crucial for Uganda, where malaria remains the leading cause of death among children,” she told reporters. “Treating babies under the age of five has been a persistent challenge, especially when available medications were only suitable for children over 5kg. This often led to the risk of increased toxicity in smaller infants,” she explained.
Uganda continues to battle high malaria-related mortality rates, with over 16,000 deaths recorded in a single year, many of them newborns who previously had limited access to safe, effective treatments.
The newly approved drug, developed by Novartis and sanctioned by Swiss regulatory authorities, is tailored for babies weighing less than 5kg, an age and weight group that had been excluded from standard treatment options until now.
“This news brings real hope,” Birungi added. “For a mother with a newborn facing malaria and no safe treatment available, the situation has been heartbreaking. This breakthrough means we are finally making meaningful progress.”
The drug is set to be rolled out in several African countries, including Uganda, marking a significant step forward in reducing infant malaria deaths across the region.
