Malaria research success stories from Africa

Malaria remains a major public health concern in Africa, with more than 215 million cases in 2019. Among malaria control measures, case management with an efficient treatment plays an important role. The current treatment for Plasmodium falciparum infection is Artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACT). Unfortunately, resistance to ACTs is emerging in Africa, dampening the global efforts for malaria elimination. Through a mutual learning process, Africa is contributing to tackling this burdensome disease – from drug discovery to clinical research.

Eric Nébié explores two African malaria control success stories, proving that the knowledge and innovation circulation of African centres are game-changing contributions to global health. The first example is H3D, Africa’s first integrated drug discovery centre. The second example is the West African Network for Clinical Trials of Antimalarial Drugs (WANECAM) consortium.