Rwanda introduces new anti-malaria drugs to combat resistance

RWANDA —The Rwanda Biomedical Centre (RBC) has announced plans to deploy two new anti-malaria drugs, dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine (DHAP) and artesunate-pyronaridine (ASPY), as part of efforts to tackle increasing resistance to existing treatments.

Both medications, recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO), are part of artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) used to treat uncomplicated malaria in children and adults.

Dr. Aimable Mbituyumuremyi, who heads the Malaria and Other Parasitic Diseases Division at RBC, explained that the new drugs will serve as alternatives to Coartem.

This widely used malaria treatment has shown reduced effectiveness in some cases in Rwanda and other countries.

He noted that the first shipment of the drugs arrived last week and will be distributed to hospitals starting January 6.

These medications will be prescribed to patients who did not recover after taking the initial treatments.

Dr. Mbituyumuremyi attributed the resistance to factors such as prolonged use of the same drugs, incorrect dosing, and infections caused by drug-resistant malaria parasites.

Updated guidelines have been introduced to ensure smooth integration of the new treatments, and healthcare workers at hospitals have already been trained.

Training will soon extend to health center staff and community health workers, ensuring widespread accessibility once the program is fully rolled out in April.

While the new drugs aim to address treatment resistance, other ongoing efforts are tackling the broader malaria challenge.

The Ministry of Health has reported significant progress over recent years, with malaria cases dropping from 4.8 million in 2016/2017 to 620,000 in 2023/2024, and malaria-related deaths declining from 650 to 67 in the same period.

 However, a worrying 45.8% increase in malaria cases was observed between January and October 2024 compared to the same period in 2023.

The Ministry identified several contributing factors to this surge, including drug resistance, insufficient funding for integrated mosquito control measures, changes in mosquito behaviour leading to more outdoor biting, unmanaged breeding sites such as rice fields and mining areas, and cross-border malaria cases.

To combat these challenges, the government has implemented interventions such as indoor residual spraying in high-risk districts, investigating malaria hotspots, forming a Malaria Task Force, and increasing access to community-level diagnosis and treatment.

The addition of DHAP and ASPY to Rwanda’s anti-malaria arsenal is expected to enhance these efforts, providing new hope in the fight against this persistent disease.

Sign up HERE to receive our email newsletters with the latest news and insights from Africa and around the world, and follow us on our WhatsApp channel for updates.