WHO Approves First Malaria Medicine for Babies
Introduction
The World Health Organization (WHO) gave a special approval for a new malaria medicine. This medicine is for newborn babies and infants. It is the first time the WHO did this. The decision was on April 24. The medicine is called artemether-lumefantrine.
Main Body
The approval means the medicine is safe and works well. Before, babies got medicine for older children. That was dangerous. It could cause wrong doses and bad side effects. Malaria is a big problem. In 2024, there were 282 million cases and 610,000 deaths. Most cases and deaths are in Africa. Children under five years old are three-quarters of the deaths. Progress is slow because of drug resistance, insecticide resistance, and less money from other countries. This new medicine will help about 30 million babies born each year in Africa. Many countries cannot check medicines well. The WHO program makes sure medicines are good for use around the world. The WHO director said malaria hurt many children. New tools like vaccines and this medicine help. He thinks we can end malaria if we keep working and spending money.
Conclusion
This approval helps protect the youngest children from malaria. It fills a big need. But the WHO says we need more money and better systems to stop malaria completely.