Partial artemisinin resistance is no longer a distant warning sign to monitor: it is already a documented reality on the African continent and a direct threat to decades of progress in the fight against malaria. If action is not taken now, the effectiveness of the treatments that save millions of lives each year could be compromised, leading to increased mortality and a real risk of reversing hard-won gains.

To address this urgent challenge, the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), with contributions from Impact Santé Afrique (ISA), has published a new policy brief for Ministers of Health and National Malaria Control Programmes (NMCPs). Its central message can be summarized in one sentence: there are immediate actions that can be taken within existing national policies and in line with World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations to respond before treatment failure becomes established.

Acting Early Costs Less Than Acting Too Late

The guiding principle of this policy brief is both economic and public health-oriented. The proposed actions are described as “no-regret” measures: reversible, relatively low-cost interventions that protect investments already made in malaria control, rather than requiring much more expensive emergency responses in the future. For decision-makers, the brief advocates a shift in mindset treating early signs of resistance not as a technical issue that can be postponed, but as a health security risk that must be addressed immediately at both national and subnational levels.

A Response That Must Be Coordinated

The brief also highlights a dimension that is too often overlooked: antimalarial drug resistance does not stop at national borders. A fragmented, country-by-country response will not be sufficient. For this reason, the recommendations call for stronger coordination among countries and regional bodies in areas such as surveillance, treatment policies, and mitigation strategies. Without such coordination, national efforts are unlikely to succeed against a threat that is inherently transnational.

From the Laboratory to the Field: Linking Surveillance to Action

Another major contribution of the policy brief is its emphasis on turning surveillance data into concrete action. Too often, investments in molecular surveillance and therapeutic efficacy studies do not translate into programmatic decisions. The brief argues that surveillance findings should automatically trigger predefined responses, rather than waiting until resistance is firmly established before adapting treatment policies.

Communities at the Heart of the Response

The recommendations also place patients and communities at the center of the response. Community health workers, medicine distributors, district health managers, and frontline healthcare providers will be the first to witness treatment failures if resistance continues to spread. The brief therefore calls for strengthening diagnosis and treatment at the community level, particularly in border areas and among mobile populations, as a key containment strategy.

A Roadmap for Ministers and National Programmes

Taken together, these findings lead to a clear conclusion: early and proactive decisions cost less, protect past investments, and reduce both the human and economic costs of inaction. For Ministries of Health and National Malaria Control Programmes, this policy brief provides a clear roadmap for action before it is too late.

Download the full policy brief here:

 https://impactsante.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/GC8-7-No-Regrets-Actions-AMDR-documents.pdf