A study from the Barcelona Institute for Global Health revealed that ivermectin, usually used to treat river blindness and scabies, can reduce malaria transmission. The BOHEMIA trial is the largest study on ivermectin for malaria, and results revealed that the pill reduced malaria by 26%.
Giving entire communities a monthly dose of ivermectin led to a remarkable drop in malaria cases—and even got rid of some pesky bed bugs along the way. Credit: Shutterstock
As mosquitoes become more resistant to insect repellent and other methods, the need for a new solution is imperative. Ivermectin has been shown to reduce malaria transmission by killing mosquitoes that feed on treated individuals, making it a promising potential treatment.
The largest study of ivermectin for malaria
The researchers conducted two mass drug administration (MDA) trials in Kwale County, Kenya and Mopeia district, Mozambique. In Kenya, the trial included children aged five to 15, while in Mozambique, participants were under five.
Participants received either ivermectin or albendazole, the active control treatment, given once monthly for three months at a dose of 400 mcg/kg by randomly chosen household clusters. The participants were tested for malaria monthly for six months after their first treatment.
Six months after the first treatment, the incidence of malaria infection was 2.20 per child-year in the ivermectin group and 2.66 per child-year in the control group.
The Kenya trial included over 20,000 participants and resulted in a 26% reduction in malaria. The drug had minimal side effects that subsided with time.
In Mozambique, the trial was disrupted by Cyclone Gombe and a cholera outbreak.
The findings have been reviewed by the WHO vector control advisory group, which recommended further studies of ivermectin as a potential preventative treatment for malaria.
The study was funded by Unitaid and was in collaboration with Manhiça Health Research Centre (CISM) and the KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme.
Malaria is disproportionately prevalent in Africa
Malaria killed 597,000 people globally in 2023. The WHO African Region experienced 94% of malaria cases and 95% of malaria deaths that year.
Malaria is caused by a parasite and is usually transmitted from infected mosquitoes. There are five Plasmodium parasite species that cause malaria in humans. P. falciparum is the deadliest malaria parasite and is the most prevalent species on the African continent.
The malaria endemic is worsening, according to the latest World malaria report. There were 252 million cases in 2022, and 263 million in 2023. In five years (2019-2023), malaria cases increased by 23 million in Africa, and deaths increased by 24,000.
Filed Under: clinical trials, Infectious Disease, Pediatrics
