Urgent Action Needed to Combat Drug-Resistant Malaria in Africa

A recent study published in Science warns that millions of lives are at risk due to the rise of drug-resistant malaria in Africa, VOA reported yesterday.

The research reveals that over 10% of malaria-infected individuals in Ethiopia, Eritrea, Rwanda, Uganda, and Tanzania exhibit mutations linked to artemisinin resistance. This poses a significant threat to Artemisinin Combination Therapies (ACTs), which have been the primary treatment for malaria for the past two decades.

Currently, malaria claims over 1,000 children’s lives daily in Africa, with the World Health Organization reporting 608,000 malaria-related deaths globally in 2022.

The authors of the report urge immediate action from policymakers and funding bodies, advocating for the implementation of triple artemisinin combination therapies (TACTs) and enhanced mosquito control measures. They emphasize that lessons from Southeast Asia’s successful response to artemisinin resistance must inform efforts in Africa to prevent a similar public health crisis.