Promising Antimalarial Drug Proves Ineffective at Saving Children’s Lives

Photo: Matthis Kleeb/Swiss TPH - A large-scale study by the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH) and partners has found that rectal artesunate (RAS) has no beneficial effect on the survival of young children with severe malaria when used as an emergency treatment in resource-constrained settings. The study, which took place under real-world conditions in three African countries, concludes that the use of RAS is unlikely to reduce malaria deaths unless underlying health system weaknesses are addressed. The results could have implications on current WHO guidelines. A viewpoint about these findings was published today in The Lancet Infectious Diseases. Rectal artesunate (RAS), a promising antimalarial drug, proves ineffective at saving the lives of young children suffering from severe malaria, according to the results of a new study conducted by the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH) and partners. A viewpoint about these findings was published today in The Lancet Infectious Diseases . The study, which investigated a large-scale roll-out of RAS in the DR Congo, Nigeria and Uganda, found that when used as an emergency treatment under real-world conditions, RAS did not improve the odds of survival for young children with severe malaria.