A new life-saving drug is injecting hope into the fight against severe malaria in Nigeria. "For us, it's a beautiful discovery," says Dr Iyam Ugot, a key player in the roll out of a new life-saving anti-malarial drug called injectable artesunate in Nigeria's Cross River State."It's easier to administer and once you give it, the patient responds very well." Injectable artesunate is a rapidly acting drug that kills the parasites that cause malaria. In 2010, the World Health Organization authorised aid agencies to supply the drug as the preferred first line treatment for severe malaria. Since then, an estimated 12 million vials have been distributed and between 80,000 to 90,000 additional lives have been saved. But despite its effectiveness, injectable artesunate is still out of reach for millions of people who need it. At least 627,000 people died of Malaria in 2012, mostly African children. Join Dr Javid Abdelmoneim in Nigeria for this special episode of The Cure, to see how the international drive to increase access to injectable artesunate is saving young children's lives.
