Staying ahead of antimalarial drug resistance

Artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) are foundational to treating malaria, saving millions of lives over the last twenty years. However, emerging drug resistance patterns, along with gaps in treatment coverage and incomplete adherence to multidose regimens, raise important questions about how to best protect the efficacy of these essential medicines. As resistance trends evolve, how can countries, researchers, and partners work together to ensure ACTs remain effective for as long as possible? This session will explore how antimalarial resistance and real-world use shape treatment policy decisions and guide drug development to protect decades of progress and keep communities safe.

This session explored:

• The current landscape of antimalarial drug resistance (AMDR) and the strategies countries are using to protect ACT effectiveness
• The role of diagnostics, surveillance, treatment coverage, and patient compliance in supporting responsible use of malaria medicines
• How AMDR trends inform decisions about new drug development and guide treatment policies to safeguard existing therapies

SPEAKERS:

Prof. Philippe Guerin, Director, WorldWide Antimalarial Resistance Network (WWARN) and the Infectious Diseases Data Observatory (IDDO)

Pierre Hugo, Vice President of Access and Product Management at Medicines for Malaria Ventures

Dr. Deus Ishengoma, Principal Research Scientist, Ifakara Health Institute (IHI) and National Institute for Medical Research (NIMR)

Dr. Henry Ntuku, Research and Program Advisor for Malaria and Neglected Tropical Diseases at PATH (Moderator)

Dr. Rima Shretta, Senior Principal Technical Advisor and Project Director for the STOP-AMDR project at Jhpiego

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

For more information about this topic, here are some additional resources shared with us by our speakers:

• Staying ahead of antimalarial drug resistance, PPT: English
• 7 actions to address Drug-Resistant Malaria in Africa: English | French
• AMDR action: English | French
• Estimating the changing prevalence of molecular markers of artemisinin partial resistance in Plasmodium falciparum malaria in Sub-Saharan Africa: English
• Spatio-temporal spread of artemisinin resistance in Southeast Asia: English