WASHINGTON — The World Health Organization was forced on Thursday, World Malaria Day, to launch an emergency response initiative to Cambodia, where artemisinin-resistant malaria is gaining a significant foothold.
Although malaria infections in Southeast Asia have shown resistance to artemisinin drugs since 2008, their presence in Cambodia is new, and for those in charge of administering treatment, it’s extremely worrisome.
“[Artemisinin drugs are] the last remaining class of antimalarial drugs and forms the basis of malaria treatment around the word,” said Dr. Tom Frieden, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in a congressional hearing Tuesday.
“If these resistant parasites were to spread to sub-Saharan Africa — which has occurred with other forms of drug resistant malaria — the results could be devastating.”
The WHO had a similar thought in mind when it announced its Emergency Response to Artemisinin Resistance in Phnom Penh initiative Thursday at the Cambodian Ministry of Health.
“The consequences of widespread resistance to artemisinins would be catastrophic,” says Dr. Robert Newman, director of WHO’s Global Malaria Program. “We must act now to protect Southeast Asia today and sub-Saharan Africa tomorrow.”
The emergency initiative seeks to contain pockets of artemisinin-resistant infections in Asia and, eventually, with the support of a new WHO regional support hub in Phonm Penh, eradicate them from existence.
“We are at a tipping point. What seems to be a localized threat could easily get out of control and have serious implications for global health,” said Newman. “This response will require substantial funding, a high level of political commitment, and strengthened regional and cross-border collaboration.”
To that end, the World Health Organization has received a wave of financial support; including $100 million from the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. However, the organization said it will need $300-350 million in additional funding over the next three years to adequately neutralize the threat.
Between 2000 and 2010, the WHO estimates that deaths from malaria decreased by 25 percent across the globe and 33 percent in sub-Saharan Africa. However, the CDC and the WHO emphasize that malaria still manages to kill an estimated 660,000 and infect 219 million each year. The majority of its victims are children under the age of five in Africa.