The approval of the first malaria treatment for newborns and young infants could lead to imminent widespread use in Africa, drugmaker Novartis said Tuesday.

Switzerland’s medical products authority has granted the first approval for a malaria medicine designed for small infants

Malaria caused 597,000 deaths worldwide in 2023, with children under 5 accounting for 76 percent of all malaria deaths in the World Health Organization’s Africa region.