Nigeria, other nations pioneer first malaria treatment for newborns

Nigeria has been named among eight African countries that contributed to a clinical trial leading to the approval of the first malaria treatment for newborns and infants weighing less than five kilograms.

The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention applauded Nigeria for its role in the trials in a statement released on Sunday.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the treatment, an infant-friendly artemether-lumefantrine, is the first of its kind for children under five kilograms.

It dissolves in breast milk and comes with a sweet flavour to make administration easier for newborns.

Until now, babies in this weight category had no approved malaria treatment.

Health workers often had to modify doses of medicines meant for older children, a practice that carried the risk of overdose and toxicity.

Swiss regulators have already approved the formulation, while Nigeria and the other participating countries are expected to fast-track clearance under the Swiss agency’s Marketing Authorisation for Global Health Products procedure.