Researchers at the Lambaréné Medical Research Center (CERMEL) have developed a single-dose treatment for malaria, combining artemisinin with three other drugs already available on the market. Between May 2024 and last October, Dr. Ghyslain Mombo-Ngoma and his team treated more than 1,000 malaria patients, half of whom were children under ten years old.
The results are promising: 93% of patients who received the single dose were parasite-free 28 days after treatment, compared to 90% of those who followed the standard three-day protocol. Currently, morbidity and mortality due to malaria are increasing. And for this reason, we need solutions now. So we asked ourselves, why not make the best use of existing antimalarial drugs? explains Ghyslain Mombo-Ngoma, MD, at the Lambaréné Medical Research Center, Gabon.
Prevention remains a major challenge, particularly in the face of mosquitoes that transmit the parasite responsible for the disease. While mosquito nets remain a key tool, their effectiveness is still limited. According to Hugues Ronel Essanga Ngomo of the malaria control program: malaria is a major public health problem in our country. That is to say, according to 2024 data, more than 154,000 cases, with an incidence of 62 per 1,000 inhabitants in the general population.
Dr. Ghyslain Mombo-Ngoma, head of clinical operations at CERMEL, points out that a third of patients do not complete their current treatments, often due to their length. Hence the appeal of a single-dose medication, which is simpler and more effective. Discussions are underway with a manufacturer to develop a single capsule or a combination pack of pills, in order to offer a low-cost and easy-to-administer treatment.
