Malaria

Malaria is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Malaria is an infectious disease which is endemic in 109 countries, caused by protozoan parasites of the Plasmodium genus and is transmitted by mosquitoes. It affects primarily sub-saharan Africa. Every year, 200 million are infected and more than 400.000 people die from malaria. Since 2012, the WHO recommends using Artemisinin Combination Therapy (ACT).

References:

• Rob W. van der Pluijm, et al., 2020;
• Kajubi R, et al., 2019;
• Kannan D, et al., 2019;
• Green C, et al., 2019;
• Munyangi, J, et al., 2018;
• Bridgford JL, et al., 2018;
• Van der Pluijm, RW., et al 2021;
• Ma, W., et al 2021;
• Clark, RL., 2022;
•  Enninful, KS., et al 2022;

Anaemia

Malaria causes red blood cells to burst, so patients often suffer from anaemia as well. Anemia is a condition in which the number of red blood cells or their oxygen-carrying capacity is insufficient to meet physiological needs. In its severe form, it is associated with fatigue, weakness, dizziness and drowsiness. Pregnant women and children are particularly vulnerable. Completed Phase 4 clinical trials have revealed the potential for artemisinin and its derivatives to treat anaemia in malarial patients.

References:

• Hasewaga et al., 2018;
• Lebrun et al., 2018;
• Sowunmi et al., 2017;
• Boillat et al., 2015;
• Jaurequiberry et al., 2015.

Fever

Fever, also known as pyrexia and febrile response is defined as having a temperature above the normal range due to an increase in the body’s temperature set-point. Fever can be caused by many medical conditions ranging from non-serious to life-threatening, including viral, bacterial and parasitic infections such as the common cold, urinary tract infections, meningitis, malaria and appendicitis among others. Artemisinin has been used for centuries in Chinese Medicine to treat the fevers associated with malaria, and now completed clinical trials confirm its efficacy in such cases.

References:

• Damien et al., 2018;
• Bruxvoort et al., 2017;
• Moses et al., 2015;
• Ho et al., 2014;
• Huang et al., 1993.