Asia Pacific Leaders Malaria Alliance (APLMA) 14d ago

Malaria remains a major cause of illness among children in many countries, where both Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium falciparum are endemic. Recurrent infections can lead to anaemia, poor health outcomes, and disruptions to child development. Recent advances, including updated WHO guidance on paediatric radical cure, emerging evidence on tafenoquine, point-of-care G6PD testing, and child-friendly malaria medicines for P. falciparum, are creating new opportunities to improve paediatric malaria care. This TechTalk webinar brought together experts to discuss the latest evidence, operational experiences, and practical strategies for expanding access to safe and effective malaria diagnosis, treatment, and radical cure for children. The webinar was moderated by Dr Caroline Lynch, Regional Representative of MMV and Co-Chair of the APMEN Vivax Working Group, who provided an overview of the impact of malaria on children, including pregnant and breastfeeding women, in the Asia-Pacific region. The session featured expert presentations from: Prof. Erni Juwita Nelwan, Head of the Division of Tropical and Infectious Disease, Universitas Indonesia, who discussed the malaria burden among children in Indonesia and share perspectives on antimalarial treatment and radical cure in children. Dr André-Marie Tchouatieu, Senior Director of Medical Affairs at MMV, who provided an overview of new and innovative paediatric antimalarial formulations that are becoming available for national malaria programmes. Assoc. Prof. Brioni Moore, Programme Lead at Curtin School of Diagnostic and Therapeutic Sciences, Curtin University, who presented findings from an ongoing study investigating the pharmacology of tafenoquine in Papua New Guinean children with uncomplicated malaria. #APMEN #TechTalks #webinar