Herbal remedy. Winning the malaria war.

Abstract

The Chinese knew it all along. A reference to the healing power of qinghao is to be found in a list of "Prescriptions for 52 Kinds of Disease" written 2000 years ago. Now artemether, a derivative of the Chinese herb, has been proven the most effective tool in the fight against drug-resistant malaria. In a study of 97 severe cases conducted on the Thai-Cambodia border by Juntra Karbwang, artemether proved three times more effective than quinine. "Dr. Karbwang's study is of particular importance because it has been conducted in an area where the malaria parasite has become a monster, with resistance to most of the commonly used drugs," says Tore Godal, director of the UN tropical disease program. Used in Vietnam, a related herbal extract slashed malaria mortality rates by 80%. The drug will be manufactured in Kunming, China, and marketed by France's Rhone-Poulenc Rorer Doma. They needn't worry about demand, according to Nakajima Hiroshi. "In many countries malaria is worsening," says the World Health Organization director-general. "It kills some 1.5 to 3 million a year. The scientific demonstration of the success of this drug is a dramatic step forward for health."