Enabling better treatment of severe malaria — a photo story

Injectable artesunate has been recommended by WHO since 2011 as the most effective way to treat severe malaria. Today there are around 8 million cases a year, mostly occurring in small children, and is near-100% fatal if left untreated. Ethiopia responded quickly to the WHO recommendations and introduced injectable artesunate into its national malaria plan. However the product wasn’t being widely used as staff were unfamiliar with it and untrained in administering it. This has changed through UNITAID’s investment to facilitate better uptake of the product, including the roll out of a training programme. The UNITAID project is paving the way for the increased use of injectable artesunate in six high burden malaria countries, with the aim of enabling widespread global use down the road.