Baltimore, MD and Geneva, CH—Jhpiego, a leader in global health, has been chosen to lead a new $26.5 million grant funded by Unitaid to help reduce the threat of antimalarial drug resistance in Burkina Faso, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Uganda and beyond.

The project, called Scaling the Optimal Use of Multiple ACTs to Prevent Antimalarial Drug Resistance (STOP-AMDR), will introduce and scale multiple artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs), a treatment regimen to mitigate antimalarial drug resistance.

Malaria remains a major public health challenge and the emergence of drug-resistant strains of malaria-carrying parasites threatens to undermine decades of progress. Partial antimalarial resistance and increases in the proportion of parasites with Pfkelch13 mutations have been documented in Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Sudan, Tanzania, and northern and southern Uganda. There are concerns that Pfkelch13 and other mutations associated with partial antimalarial medication resistance may be circulating undetected more widely, posing a significant threat to efforts to control and eliminate malaria in Africa.

Without a well-funded, coordinated, continent-wide response, malaria-related morbidity and mortality could be catastrophic, especially for at-risk populations such as pregnant women and children under 5.

“STOP-AMDR will help ensure that children, pregnant women, and communities most at risk of malaria continue to benefit from effective treatment,” said Dr. Gladys Tetteh, Senior Technical Director for Malaria at Jhpiego.

Grounded in country-specific contexts and under the leadership of Dr. Rima Shretta, STOP-AMDR project director, Jhpiego will work with national governments and National Malaria Programs, the private sector, local institutions, and civil society to help countries understand their unique barriers to antimalarial medication resistance and devise lasting solutions that work for all children, parents, providers and the health system.

“This project represents a critical step in safeguarding global malaria efforts and ensuring that treatments remain effective for decades to come. We’re honored to partner with Unitaid in this effort,” said Dr. Shretta.

STOP-AMDR will help protect the efficacy of existing antimalarial medication by connecting research and implementation learning with market shaping efforts, steering change through the adoption of multiple first-line therapies as a key strategy to mitigate or slow-down the spread of resistance to antimalarial medication. This includes a focus on ACT diversification and facilitating strengthened supply chain systems, supporting national policy updates, and improving access and affordability of newer ACTs.

In addition, STOP-AMDR will influence the introduction of multiple first-line therapies in twelve additional observer countries: Angola, Eritrea, Senegal, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Ghana, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, and Tanzania.

About Unitaid

Unitaid is a global health organization that saves lives by making new health products available and affordable for people in low- and middle-income countries. Unitaid works with partners to identify innovative treatments, tests and tools, help tackle the market barriers that are holding them back, and get them to the people who need them most – fast. Since Unitaid was created in 2006, the organization has unlocked access to more than 100 groundbreaking health products to help address the world’s biggest health challenges, including HIV, TB and malaria; women’s and children’s health; and pandemic prevention, preparedness and response. Every year, more than 300 million people benefit from the products Unitaid has helped roll out. Unitaid is hosted by the World Health Organization.

About Jhpiego

Jhpiego is a global health nonprofit with more than 50 years of experience innovating to save the lives of women, men, and families around the world. Originally established in 1973 as the Johns Hopkins Program for International Education in Gynecology and Obstetrics, Jhpiego has since evolved into a multidimensional organization with active programming in over 30 countries. In partnership with national governments, health experts, and local communities, Jhpiego creates and delivers transformative health care solutions that build providers’ skills, strengthen health systems, and ensure equitable access to high-quality, lifesaving care for all—regardless of location.