WHO prequalifies first malaria treatment for newborns and infants, adds diagnostic tests
The Story
The World Health Organization (WHO) prequalified artemether-lumefantrine, the first antimalarial treatment designed specifically for newborns and young infants weighing two to five kilograms. WHO also prequalified three new rapid diagnostic tests on April 14, 2026, that target a different parasite protein to address diagnostic gaps. The announcements preceded World Malaria Day on April 25 and are part of the 2026 campaign “Driven to End Malaria: Now We Can. Now We Must.”
Key Facts
- WHO prequalified artemether-lumefantrine as the first antimalarial formulation designed specifically for newborns and infants weighing two to five kilograms.
- Previously, infants were treated with formulations meant for older children, increasing risks of dosing errors, side effects, and toxicity.
- The prequalification is expected to help close a treatment gap for an estimated 30 million babies born each year in malaria-endemic areas of Africa.
- On April 14, 2026, WHO prequalified three new rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) that target the pf-LDH protein instead of HRP2.
- Some malaria parasite strains have lost the gene that produces HRP2, making them invisible to standard RDTs; in the Horn of Africa, up to 80% of cases were missed.
- WHO recommends countries switch to the alternative RDTs when more than 5% of cases are missed due to pf-hrp2 deletions.
- According to the World Malaria Report 2025, there were an estimated 282 million malaria cases and 610,000 deaths globally in 2024.
- 47 countries have been certified malaria-free, and 37 countries reported fewer than 1,000 cases in 2024.
- Since 2000, an estimated 2.3 billion malaria infections have been prevented and 14 million lives saved worldwide.
- 25 countries are now rolling out malaria vaccines, and next-generation mosquito nets make up 84% of all new nets distributed.
Conflicting Reports
No conflicting reports identified in the source article.
Still Unclear
No open questions identified in the source article.
Misconceptions
No widespread misconceptions addressed in the source article.
Key Figures
- Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General
Sources: World Health Organization
