Doctors in Gabon say a new single-dose malaria treatment could be a breakthrough in the fight against the disease and its growing resistance to existing drugs.
A research team led by Dr. Ghyslain Mombo-Ngoma at the Medical Research Centre of Lambaréné has successfully tested a one-time treatment that combines four well-known anti-malarial drugs sulfadoxine, pyrimethamine, artesunate, and pyronaridine.
The results are promising: the new treatment cleared malaria parasites in 93% of patients, matching the effectiveness of the standard three-day course.
“As malaria mortality rises, we need solutions now,” said Dr. Mombo-Ngoma. “So we thought, why not make the most of existing anti-malarial drugs.”
For many people in Gabon, malaria remains a daily battle. Libreville resident Julicia Nfono says the disease keeps returning despite preventive efforts.
“Even though we use mosquito nets and protect ourselves, as long as there are mosquitoes, it always comes back,” she said.
According to the National Malaria Control Program, Gabon reported over 154,000 malaria cases in 2024, with children under five most affected. Program official Hugues Ronel Essanga Ngomo described malaria as “a major public health problem.”
Health experts say a single-dose treatment could make malaria care simpler, more accessible, and help prevent drug resistance a key step in reducing malaria’s impact across Africa.
