New Delhi, July 26 (IANS) Ivermectin can be an effective strategy to control malaria transmission, according to a new study that showed the drug can lower new malaria infections by 26 per cent.

Ivermectin, a drug traditionally used to treat neglected tropical diseases like onchocerciasis, which causes river blindness, and lymphatic filariasis, which causes elephantiasis, has been shown to reduce malaria transmission by killing the mosquitoes that feed on treated individuals.

Given the rising resistance to conventional insecticides, ivermectin could offer an effective new approach to tackle malaria transmission, especially in regions where traditional methods have become less effective, said researchers from the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal).

“Ivermectin administered to the whole population significantly reduces malaria transmission, offering new hope in the fight against the disease,” the team said.

In the study, conducted in Kwale County, Kenya, children aged 5–15 who received ivermectin experienced a 26 per cent reduction in malaria infection incidence compared to those who received albendazole, the control drug used in the study.

The findings, published in The New England Journal of Medicine, demonstrated that ivermectin significantly reduced malaria infection rates — particularly among children living further from cluster borders or in areas where drug distribution was more efficient.

Moreover, the safety profile of ivermectin was favourable, with no severe drug-related adverse events and only mild, transient side effects already seen with ivermectin in campaigns against neglected tropical diseases.

“We are thrilled with these results,” said Carlos Chaccour, co-principal investigator and ISGlobal researcher.

“Ivermectin has shown great promise in reducing malaria transmission and could complement existing control measures. With continued research, ivermectin MDA could become an effective tool for malaria control and even contribute to elimination efforts,” said Chaccour, who is now a researcher at the Navarra Centre for International Development at the University of Navarra.

Malaria remains a global health challenge, with 263 million cases and 597,000 deaths reported in 2023.

Current vector control methods, such as long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs) and indoor residual spraying (IRS), have become less effective due to insecticide resistance and behavioural adaptations in mosquitoes to bite outdoors and during dusk or dawn, when people are not protected by these measures.

This underscores the urgent need for innovative solutions to combat malaria.

The trials assessed the safety and efficacy of a single monthly dose of ivermectin (400 mcg/kg) given for three consecutive months at the start of the rainy season in reducing malaria transmission.

–IANS

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