WHO Approves New Malaria Treatment for Babies: Malaria Eradication Now Within Reach

The World Health Organization has prequalified the first malaria treatment specifically designed for newborns and young infants, marking a significant advancement in the global effort to eliminate the disease.

The treatment, Coartem® Baby (artemether-lumefantrine), is formulated for infants weighing between two and five kilograms and is the first antimalarial developed exclusively for this age group. Until now, infants with malaria have been treated with formulations intended for older children, increasing the risk of dosing errors, side effects, and toxicity.

WHO prequalification indicates that the medicine meets international standards of quality, safety, and efficacy, enabling its procurement by United Nations agencies and other public sector buyers. This development addresses a long-standing treatment gap for approximately 30 million babies born each year in malaria-endemic areas of Africa.

The prequalification was announced ahead of World Malaria Day on 25 April 2026. WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated that new vaccines, diagnostic tests, next-generation mosquito nets, and effective medicines adapted for the youngest patients are helping to turn the tide against malaria.

“For centuries, malaria has stolen children from their parents, and health, wealth and hope from communities,” said Dr Tedros. “But today, the story is changing. Ending malaria in our lifetime is no longer a dream – We see a real possibility, but only with sustained political and financial commitment. Now we can. Now we must.”

Coartem® Baby was developed in collaboration with Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV) and is being made available by Novartis on a largely not-for-profit basis in malaria-endemic regions. The treatment is also known as Riamet® Baby in some countries.

On 14 April 2026, WHO also prequalified three new rapid diagnostic tests designed to address emerging diagnostic challenges for malaria, further strengthening the tools available for detection and treatment.

Dr Daniel Ngamije Madandi, Director of Malaria and Neglected Tropical Diseases at WHO, emphasized that there were previously no antimalarial medicines specifically developed for the treatment of uncomplicated malaria in children weighing between two and five kilograms.

Dr Lutz Hegemann, President of Global Health at Novartis, said the prequalification brings the organization one step closer to ensuring that the tiniest babies have access to the first antimalarial designed specifically for them.