Kenya has approved a new cherry-flavoured malaria drug tailored for infants and young children, a global first that addresses a critical treatment gap.

• Coartem Baby is specifically designed for infants under 4.5 kilograms, a category that previously had no approved treatment for malaria.
• The drug, developed by Novartis, dissolves easily in breast milk and is more palatable for young patients.
• This development is part of a fast-tracked approval process involving eight African countries, including Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, and Tanzania, targeting thousands of vulnerable children in malaria-endemic areas.