Nigeria is among eight African countries to pioneer the rollout of the world’s first malaria treatment designed specifically for newborns, the Africa Centre for Disease Control (CDC) has announced.
This development is seen as a milestone to curb one of the continent’s deadliest childhood diseases, with Nigeria bearing the highest global burden for malaria.
The Africa CDC applauded the approval of the first malaria treatment specifically formulated for newborns and infants weighing less than five kilogrammes, describing it as a major advance in closing a critical gap in care for Africa’s youngest and most vulnerable.
Africa CDC noted that the eight member states — Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, and Uganda – participated in clinical trials, which was instrumental in achieving the milestone.
“Their leadership underscores Africa’s growing role in driving health innovation and ensuring that no child is left behind.
The new artemether-lumefantrin formulation for children was developed through a partnership between Novartis and the Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV), under the PAMAfrica consortium, with co-funding from the European & Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency,” the centre said in a statement.
The centre further said that the formulation has been approved by Swiss drug regulators and expects rapid approvals from the eight African countries under the Swiss agency’s Marketing Authorisation for Global Health Products procedure.
Until now, no approved treatment existed for infants under five kilogrammes. These children were often given modified doses of medicines for older children, raising the risk of overdose and toxicity.
This new formulation offers a safe, effective, and infant-friendly option — dissolvable in breast milk and with a sweet flavour to ease administration, according to Africa CDC.
Novartis plans to introduce the treatment on a primarily not-for-profit basis, aiming to increase access in malaria-endemic regions, where nearly 30 million babies are born each year.
“The approval of the treatment is a major step forward in the fight against malaria. It ensures that even the smallest and most vulnerable infants now have access to safe and effective treatment,” Jean Kaseya, director general, Africa CDC said.
