Assessment of the safety of artemisinin compounds in pregnancy
Report of the two informal consultations convened by WHO in 2002 (Roll Back Malaria and the UNDP/World Bank/WHO Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases)
Summary
Various artemisinin compounds have been used as treatment for different forms of malaria since the early 1980s, initially in China, where they were first developed, and subsequently in many other countries. The literature on their use in pregnancy has been limited and animal studies have suggested that their use in pregnancy be restricted. With the increasing amount of interest in artemisinin combinations and artemisinin compounds in general, more studies - preclinical and clinical - are being envisaged and have been undertaken.
With more data becoming available it was time to re-evaluate existing data and policies on the use of artemisinin compounds in pregnancy. The 2000 WHO recommendations were reviewed in two consultations in 2002. This report presents WHO’s current position on use of artemisinin compounds during pregnancy.