Mission
Board & Staff
Funding
Annual Reports
Contact Us
Editorials
Research Papers
Testimony
Letters
Media Coverage
Success Stories
Prevention
Indoor Residual Spraying
Insecticide-Treated Nets
Other Methods
Treatment
ACTs & Other Drugs
Malaria in Pregnancy
Co-Infection
Research
Insecticide Research
Drug Research
Vaccine Trials
Malarial Countries
Taxes & Tariffs
Regional Initiatives
Ministries of Health
Ministries of Finance
Donor Programs
Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB & Malaria
Roll Back Malaria Partnership
World Health Organization
World Bank
UN Children's Fund
US Agency for International Development
Other Agencies
Private Sector
Companies, Foundations & PPPs
Non-Governmental Organizations
Commodities Manufacturers
Drug Safety
Public Health Insecticides
Campaigns
Become An Advocate
Press Releases
Events
Home
»
Browse content by issue
»
Malaria
»
Treatment
» ACTs & Other Drugs
ACTs & Other Drugs
Artemisinin-based Combination Therapies, or ACTs, are now considered to be the best treatment for uncomplicated
P. falciparum
malaria. The World Health Organization (WHO) currently recommends the following ACTs:
Artemether-lumefantrine (e.g. Coartem
®
, available through
Novartis AG
)
Artesunate plus amodiaquine (e.g. Arsuamoon
®
, available through Guilin Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd.)
Artesunate plus sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (e.g. Sulfamon plus 500, available through Cipla Ltd.
)
Artesunate plus mefloquine (e.g. Artequin
TM
, available through Mepha Ltd.
)
Parasitic resistance to chloroquine and sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine monotherapies was a driver of malaria’s recent resurgence throughout sub-Saharan Africa. In order to preserve ACTs as an effective treatment for malaria, the WHO recommends that
drug companies not produce
, and governments, donors and private organizations not purchase or administer Artemisinin monotherapies. The WHO recommends changing national treatment policy when treatment failure rates reach 10%, preferably to one of the ACTs listed above. For more detailed information, please refer to the WHO’s “
Guidelines for the Treatment of Malaria
“.
The production and distribution of substandard and counterfeit drugs, including ACTs, is a vast, increasing and largely underreported, problem. Adulterated medicines contain little or none of the active ingredients found in their branded equivalent, and often have adverse health effects. AFM has made
policy recommendations based on the global threat of fake and substandard drugs
and the qualitative risks associated with counterfeit medicines.
AFM published a study in PLoS ONE in May 2008 indicating
35% of antimalarial drugs sold in six major African cities are substandard
. The AFM team educated millions of people and policymakers around the world on this issue by generating over 50 earned media hits in leading print, broadcast and electronic media in 17 countries on five continents, including feature stories in
The New York Times
,
Reuters
,
Economist
, and
National Public Radio
.
AFM’s work on this issue has spurred immediate action. Just three weeks after this study was published, the Kenyan and Rwandan governments publicly initiated investigations into drug counterfeiters and nationwide pharmacies,
citing AFM’s research
.
AFM held two briefings on Capital Hill on the subject of Improving Antimalarial Drug Quality in Africa. The first was a
Congressional Briefing in June 2008
in collaboration with the Congressional Malaria Caucus. The second was a
Senate Briefing in September 2008
hosted by the US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations.
AFM’s Board Member, Dr. Roger Bate, recently published a book on counterfeit medicines entitled Making a Killing: The Deadly Implications of the Counterfeit Drug Trade.
AFM is also helping to ensure that every African in need of a malaria treatment has access to a safe and effective one through the March of Washingtons - a broad-based campaign to buy and distribute high quality malaria drugs to people in Africa, and test for fake and substandard malaria drugs on sale in African markets. Funds from the March of Washingtons have been used to collect and test antimalarial drugs on sale in private pharmacies in Zambia. In March 2009, AFM published a
report of its findings
. Funds have also been used to collect and test essential drugs from pharmacies in Lagos, Nigeria as well as conduct informal surveys of doctors, pharmacists, and healthcare workers in Lagos, Ondo, and Ogun. AFM published a
working paper with its findings
in August 2009.
To learn how you can become involved in the March of Washingtons visit
www.marchofwashingtons.org
.
Must Read
Kenya and Rwanda Crack Down on Substandard Drugs
May 29, 2023
AFM Commentary and Policy Recommendations on Counterfeit and Substandard Medicines
June 20, 2023
Zanzibar’s impressive attack on malaria
November 05, 2023
Newest Malaria Medicine May Be Losing Potency in Asia, WHO Says
October 17, 2023
World Bank Wasted Money and Lives in Buying Wrong Medicine
September 12, 2023
AFM Articles
Substandard and falsified anti-tuberculosis drugs: a preliminary field analysis
January 14, 2024
Substandard Medicines: WHO’s inadequate response
January 03, 2024
Deadly Fake Medicines
November 20, 2023
President’s Malaria Initiative’s ‘mystery’ solved
September 27, 2023
AFM update on recent drug quality studies
August 16, 2023
» more…
News
How Parasites Respond to Malaria Treatment
June 10, 2023
Call for global crackdown on fake medicines
November 13, 2023
New fight needed against killer malaria in Asia
November 02, 2023
Officials debate whether to scrap malaria program
October 31, 2023
NAFDAC Issues Deadline for Drugs Safeguard
October 22, 2023
» more…
Research
Rapid diagnostic tests for molecular surveillance of Plasmodium falciparum malaria -assessment of DNA extraction methods and field applicability
March 19, 2024
The role of pre-shipment batch testing in ensuring good medicine quality
December 05, 2023
Private Sector Drug Shops in Integrated Community Case Management of Malaria, Pneumonia, and Diarrhea in Children in Uganda
November 19, 2023
Travel and fake artesunate: a risky business
September 22, 2023
Trends in availability and prices of subsidized ACT over the first year of the AMFm: evidence from remote regions of Tanzania
August 28, 2023
» more…
Press Releases
The March of Washingtons Distributes $10,000 for Antimalarial Drugs in Uganda
April 23, 2023
The Global Fund Proposes Joint Action To Prevent Theft Of Medicines
December 10, 2023
The March of Washingtons Distributes $5,000 for Pneumonia Drugs in Uganda
November 11, 2023
March of Washingtons donates funds for life-saving antimalarial drugs in Uganda
August 31, 2023
WHO releases new malaria guidelines for treatment and procurement of medicines
March 09, 2024
» more…
Events
Senate Briefing: Improving Antimalarial Drug Quality in Africa
September 29, 2023
Congressional Briefing: Improving Antimalarial Drug Quality in Africa
June 10, 2023
Back to Top