New Chinese-developed anti-malarial drug set to be distributed across Africa

A new anti-malarial drug is to be rolled out across Africa, after successful trials in the Comoros.
The drug known as artequick, was developed by a Chinese pharmaceutical company and has helped eradicate Malaria from the Indian Ocean Islands.

The announcement was made at the China Africa Malaria symposium in the Kenyan capital Nairobi on Friday, where experts discussed the elimination of malaria through source eradication.
Artequick is a combination drug therapy derived from a Chinese plant, artemisinin, and an antimalarial called piperaquine.

While malaria parasites have developed widespread resistance to most antimalarial drugs, the company behind artequick says this particular drug is different.
The World Health Organization reports that Sub-Saharan Africa carries a disproportionately high share of the global malaria burden. In 2015, the region was home to 90% of malaria cases and 92% of malaria deaths.

Malaria is caused by Plasmodium parasites that are spread to people through bites from infected Anopheles mosquito vectors.

Already several countries including Kenya have been selected to pilot the scheme.
Technical teams are set to work on proposals and pilot studies before artequick is rolled out countrywide in Kenya.