WHO issues new malaria treatment guidelines

The World Health Organization (WHO) has asked pharmaceutical companies to end the marketing and sale of 'single-drug' artemisinin malaria medicines to prevent malaria parasites from developing resistance.

When used correctly in combination with other antimalarial drugs in Artemisinin Combination Therapies (ACTs), artemisinin is 95% effective in curing malaria and the parasite is highly unlikely to become drug resistant. ACTs are currently the most effective medicine available to treat malaria. But the use of single-drug artemisinin treatment hastens development of resistance by weakening but not killing the parasite.

iIt is critical that artemisinins be used correctly,' said WHO's Director-General Dr Lee Jong-wook. 'We request pharmaceutical companies to immediately stop marketing single-drug artemisinin tablets and instead market artemisinin combination therapies only.'

WHO also announced other measures it will take to maximise the benefits and correct use of ACTs. To contain the circulation and use of counterfeit antimalarial medicines, WHO plans to strengthen its collaboration with international and national health and regulatory authorities.

Additionally, to anticipate and prevent the onset and spread of drug resistance in the long term, WHO is urging the global malaria research community and the pharmaceutical industry rapidly to invest in the design of the next generation of antimalarial drugs.

'Our biggest concern right now is to treat patients with safe and effective medication and to avoid the emergence of drug resistance. If we lose ACTs, we'll no longer have a cure for malaria,' said Dr Arata Kochi, the newly appointed director of WHO's malaria department. 'It will probably be at least 10 years before a new one can be discovered.'