Chinese herb proves effective against malaria

It is estimated that about two million people die every year from malaria. Since 1981 between 20 and 40 million people have died from the disease - this compares to about 2.5 million deaths caused by the AIDS virus in the same period. Malaria is caused by a parasite, Plasmodium falciparum, and is usually treated with quinine or quinidine.

Unfortunately, it appears that P. falciparum is developing resistance to quinine making this drug less effective. Chinese scientists discovered 25 years ago that extracts from the herb qinghaosu (wormwood) are highly effective in treating malaria. These extracts have been used in China and Vietnam for several years as an alternative to quinine.

Now teams of Vietnamese and Dutch researchers report that the wormwood extract artemether is as effective as quinine in treating severe malaria in adults and cerebral malaria in children.

As a matter of fact, the artemether cleared the parasites from the blood quicker than did quinine and resulted in significantly lower mortality rate. So far the quinine-resistant parasites have only surfaced in Asia, but they are expected to become established in Africa within five years and at that time malaria deaths in Africa are estimated to rise to seven million a year. Dr. Piero Olliaro of the Tropical Diseases Research Program in Geneva believes that the use of artemether could avert the crisis, but that people in Africa may not be able to afford the $20 cost of the treatment that could save their lives. Dr. Olliaro goes on to say that "drug firms have been slow to develop artemether, because they cannot apply for patents on a drug that is already used in traditional Chinese medicine...."

Van Hensbroek, Michael Boele, et al. A trial of artemether or quinine in children with cerebral malaria. New England Journal of Medicine, Vol. 335, No. 2, July 11, 1996, pp. 69-75