The World Health Organization (WHO) has approved a diagnostic test for glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency, a genetic condition that can affect malaria treatment.
This test will help ensure safer use of medicines to prevent relapses of P. vivax malaria, a disease that causes many malaria-related deaths annually.
The approval follows the WHO’s earlier recommendation of tafenoquine-based treatments.
Malaria, which affects millions, is especially deadly for children, with about 500,000 deaths each year.
G6PD deficiency affects over 500 million people worldwide and can cause severe health problems when certain malaria treatments are used.
This new test can be used both in laboratories and in non-laboratory settings, providing fast results to help doctors select the right treatment for patients.
The WHO hopes that this test will improve the safety and effectiveness of anti-relapse treatments for P. vivax malaria, helping to reduce the global malaria burden.
In addition, WHO plans to speed up the approval process for such vital health tools to make them more accessible in countries where malaria is most common.
