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WHO releases new malaria guidelines
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Recently, the World Health Organization (WHO) released new guidelines for the treatment of malaria, and the first ever guidance on procuring safe and efficacious antimalarial medicines.
The Guidelines for the Treatment of Malaria (second edition) provide evidence-based and current recommendations for countries on malaria diagnosis and treatment. The main change from the first edition of the guidelines are the universal diagnostic testing before treating and the addition of a new artemisinin-based medication to the list of recommended treatments.
The content is presented as a 16-step checklist to guide the selection and procurement of safe and effective medicines meeting international quality standards.
The guidelines recommend removing oral artemisinin-based monotherapy from the market because this product’s use will hasten the development of parasite resistance. Countries need to ensure that patients are diagnosed properly and take the full dose of medication to prevent drug resistance, according to the guidelines.
WHO. 2010. ISBN 9789241547925.