Malaria remains a significant global health concern, with 249 million cases and 408,000 deaths reported in 2022, primarily in sub-Saharan Africa. The most vulnerable populations are children under five and pregnant women. Rapid and accurate diagnosis using microscopy or malaria rapid diagnostic test...s (mRDTs) is essential to ensure timely treatment, prevent severe disease and promote the rational use of antimalarial drugs. This UNICEF Technical Bulletin provides guidance on the procurement, quality assurance and selection of WHO-prequalified mRDTs, including considerations for areas with a high prevalence of pfhrp2/3 gene deletions. The bulletin also highlights UNICEF’s approach to sustainability, product verification and long-term arrangements with manufacturers, which ensure a reliable supply while supporting integrated child health management programmes. The bulletin serves as a valuable resource for countries, partners and programmes involved in the implementation of malaria case management and diagnostics.
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Combination therapy is a cornerstone of modern malaria treatment, particularly in the context of widespread multidrug resistance. Using two or more antimalarial drugs with different mechanisms simultaneously enhances efficacy, shortens treatment duration, improves compliance and delays the developme...nt of resistance. Artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs), such as artemether–lumefantrine, artesunate–amodiaquine and artesunate–sulfadoxine/pyrimethamine, are highly effective in rapidly clearing parasites and reducing gametocyte carriage. They are also generally well tolerated. Non-artemisinin combinations, quinine-based regimens and novel combinations (e.g. piperaquine–dihydroartemisinin) offer alternative therapeutic options, although clinical experience with these remains limited. Although ACTs are the preferred first-line treatment, factors such as cost, local drug resistance patterns, safety during pregnancy and paediatric use must inform implementation and policy decisions.
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This document provides technical guidance for manufacturers seeking World Health Organization (WHO) prequalification of in vitro diagnostic devices (IVDs) for malaria, with a focus on rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) for symptomatic patients. It summarises the minimum performance requirements, includin...g analytical and clinical performance standards, and emphasises considerations relating to diverse specimen types, testing environments and user populations in low- and middle-income countries. The guidance is aligned with the criteria and prequalification processes of the WHO Global Malaria Programme, while clarifying that demonstration of clinical utility is outside the scope of prequalification.
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Malaria remains a significant public health concern in the SADC region, accounting for 20% of childhood deaths, as well as prompting numerous outpatient visits and hospitalisations. Around three-quarters of the population, including 35 million children under the age of five and 8.5 million pregnant ...women, are at risk. Transmission patterns vary from high and stable in the north to malaria-free in the south, with low, unstable and seasonal zones in between. Although interventions such as indoor residual spraying (IRS), insecticide-treated nets (ITNs/LLINs), intermittent preventive treatment in pregnancy (IPTp), rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs), and artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) have reduced the malaria burden, challenges persist in terms of funding, human resources, surveillance, and cross-border coordination. Achieving malaria elimination in the SADC region requires harmonised regional standards, strengthened surveillance, and improved access to quality treatment and policy prioritisation.
Accessed on 27/08/2025.
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Every two minutes, a child under the age of 5 dies from malaria. Under-five children accounted for 67 per cent of all malaria deaths worldwide in 2018. Most of them occurred in sub-Saharan Africa where an estimated 24 million children were infected with its deadliest form. In addition to being the t...hird-deadliest infectious disease for children, malaria infection and the costs of treatment traps families in a cycle of illness, suffering and poverty.This year’s World Malaria Day is marred by the emergence of the COVID-19 outbreak, which further threatens people’s lives and well-being. Public health officials are taking precautionary and often aggressive measures to limit transmission of this virus, including reductions in social movement, physical distancing, hand-washing and recommending the use of personal protection equipment in high-risk settings. However, while focusing on combating this disease, the world cannot afford to ignore other diseases, such as malaria.
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As of October 2017, the global database comprised almost 30 000 records, including results from bioassays to measure phenotypic resistance, and biochemical and molecular tests for resistance mechanisms. The current report presents an overview of data on malaria vector resistance for 2010 to 2016. It... aims to provide the baseline for subsequent status updates and to identify any temporal trends. An online mapping tool called Malaria Threats Map allows further interactive exploration of available data.
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The Mekong Malaria Elimination (MME) programme is an initiative aimed at supporting Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) countries – Cambodia, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Myanmar, Thailand, Viet Nam, and Yunnan (China) – in achieving the goal of malaria elimination by 2030. Data for this epidemi...ological summary were compiled from country reports.
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This FY 2019 Malaria Operational Plan presents a detailed implementation plan for Burkina Faso, based on the strategies of PMI and the National Malaria Control Program (NMCP). It was developed in consultation with the NMCP and with the participation of national and international partners involved in... malaria prevention and control in the country. The activities that PMI is proposing to support fit in well with the national malaria control strategy and plan and build on investments made by PMI and other partners to improve and expand malaria-related services, including malaria grants from the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria. This document briefly reviews the current status of malaria control policies and interventions in Burkina Faso, describes progress to date, identifies challenges and unmet needs to achieving the targets of the NMCP and PMI, and provides a description of activities that are planned with FY 2019 funding.
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Recent efforts to fight malaria in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) have yielded impressive results. According to the latest WHO estimates, the six GMS countries cut their malaria case incidence by an estimated 54% between 2012 and 2015. Malaria death rates fell by 84% over the same period.
I...n May 2015, GMS Ministers of Health adopted the WHO Strategy for malaria elimination in the Greater Mekong Subregion 2015-2030. Urging immediate action, the plan aims to eliminate P. falciparum malaria from the subregion by 2025 and all species of human malaria by 2030.
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Fighting malaria and Saving Lives, Accessed Febr. 23, 2017
Effective malaria prevention is threatened by widespread and increasing vector insecticide resistance. Failure to mitigate this threat will likely result in an increased burden of disease, with significant cost implications. This new framework provides support for the development of a national insec...ticide resistance monitoring and management plan as part of a national malaria strategic plan.
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Estas normas são dirigidas aos clínicos envolvidos no diagnóstico e tratamento da malária em todas as unidades de saúde e poderão ser de utilidade para os estudantes, técnicos e agentes de Medicina em formação.
Procurou-se chamar a atenção para o uso de antimaláricos, o tratamento de su...porte dos casos de malária grave, o risco de surgimento de reacções adversas e o seu tratamento.
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