Intensified Action Needed to Counter Antimalarial Drug Resistance in Africa

Health leaders from African countries and global partners have called for urgent action to counter antimalarial drug resistance, a growing challenge that threatens to undermine hard-won progress against malaria in Africa. The World Health Organization (WHO) has released a dedicated strategy to confront antimalarial drug resistance in Africa, emphasizing the need for close collaboration between national malaria programs, research institutions, and other partners to map the presence of drug resistance, monitor drug efficacy, and ensure patient access to effective treatments.

Key Takeaways:

• The African Region shoulders 95% of the global malaria burden, with 4 East African countries (Eritrea, Rwanda, Uganda, and the United Republic of Tanzania) confirming partial resistance to artemisinin.
• Drug resistance has been driven by factors such as the use of substandard or counterfeit medicines and treatment regimens not followed to completion.
• WHO recommends 6 artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) as first and second-line treatment for uncomplicated P. falciparum malaria.
• Diversification of malaria treatment options is essential to protect the efficacy of artemisinin-based therapies, with alternative ACTs more expensive and out of reach for many endemic countries.
• Time is of the essence to expand access to alternative treatments and bolster efforts to detect and mitigate resistance, with global funders working together to address this issue.
• A joint donor statement issued in September 2024 stressed the importance of collective action to address resistance, noting that "it's all too easy with a sweeping problem like resistance to only wake up to the scale of it too late."

Statistics:

• 95% of the global malaria burden is shouldered by the African Region.
• 4 East African countries (Eritrea, Rwanda, Uganda, and the United Republic of Tanzania) have confirmed partial resistance to artemisinin.
• 600 million cases of malaria occurred in 2022 globally, with 176,000 deaths (WHO).
• 80% of the malaria treatment market in the public sector in most malaria-endemic countries in Africa is dominated by artemether-lumefantrine (AL).

Sources:

• World Health Assembly (2025)
• World Health Organization (2022)
• Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV)
• RBM Partnership to End Malaria
• Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC)
• MIL-OSI United Nations News (http://milnz.co.nz/mil-osi-aggregation/) - Copyright 2025 Multimedia Investments Ltd, distributed by Contify.com.