09-Jul-2025
World’s First Malaria Drug
Science & Technology
Why in News?
Switzerland has approved the world’s first malaria drug specifically for newborns, marking a major breakthrough in the fight against infant malaria.
Key Details About the Drug
- Drug Name: Coartem Dispersible (New Infant Formulation)
- Manufacturer: Novartis
- Target Group: Newborns and very young children
- Approved By: Swiss Regulatory Authorities
- Global Need
- Over 500,000 deaths due to malaria were reported worldwide in 2023.
- A majority of these deaths occurred in children under five, mainly in Africa.
What is Malaria?
- Malaria is an acute febrile illness caused by Plasmodium parasites.
- It is life-threatening but preventable and curable.
- Most common in tropical and subtropical regions.
How it Spreads
- Malaria is not contagious (does not spread from person to person).
- It spreads through the bite of an infected female Anopheles mosquito.
- Five species of Plasmodium can infect humans.
- Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax are the most dangerous.
Malaria-Free Countries (Certified by WHO since 2015)
- Asia: Maldives, Sri Lanka
- Europe/Central Asia: Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan
- South America: Paraguay, Argentina
- Africa: Algeria
- Others: China (2021), El Salvador (2021)
Malaria Vaccines
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Preparing Through MCQ
Q. Which country recently approved the world’s first malaria drug specifically for newborns?
(1) Germany
(2) India
(3) Switzerland
(4) France
Answer: (3) Switzerland