WHO Approves Groundbreaking Malaria Treatment for Infants, Marking a Milestone in Global Child Health

The World Health Organization has announced the prequalification of the first malaria treatment specifically developed for newborns and young infants, marking a significant advancement in pediatric malaria care.

The treatment, designed for infants weighing between two and five kilograms, received WHO prequalification ahead of World Malaria Day on 25 April 2026. This designation confirms that the medicine meets international standards of quality, safety and efficacy for use in global health programs.

WHO’s announcement highlights the urgent need for age-appropriate malaria treatments, as young children remain among the most vulnerable to severe malaria infection. The organization emphasized that this development represents a critical step in addressing malaria-related illness and mortality in infants, particularly in regions with high transmission rates.

In addition to the new treatment, WHO continues to recommend the widespread use of the RTS,S/AS01 malaria vaccine for children in sub-Saharan Africa and other regions with moderate to high Plasmodium falciparum transmission. The vaccine recommendation, first issued in October 2021, is based on evidence from a pilot program in Ghana, Kenya, and Malawi that has reached more than 900,000 children since 2019.

WHO officials stated that combining the new infant treatment with existing preventive tools, including the RTS,S vaccine, could significantly reduce malaria-related deaths among young children. The organization noted that more than 260,000 African children under the age of five die from malaria annually, underscoring the public health importance of these interventions.

The prequalification process enables procurement by United Nations agencies and supports broader access to the treatment in low-resource settings. WHO affirmed that the medicine has undergone rigorous evaluation to ensure it meets the necessary criteria for use in public health programs worldwide.

This development reflects ongoing efforts to close gaps in malaria prevention and treatment for the youngest populations, who have historically had limited access to therapies tailored to their age and weight. WHO confirmed that further distribution and implementation guidance will follow as part of its malaria control strategy.