WHO releases new malaria treatment guidelines

GENEVA, March 9 (Xinhua) -- The World Health Organization released new malaria treatment and procurement guidelines on Tuesday.

The guidelines recommended the use of diagnostic tests and a new artemisinin-based combination therapy as new treatments.

"It is time to move away from the idea that everyone with a fever is suspected to have malaria," said Robert Newman, director of the WHO global malaria program. "Everyone should benefit from a test."

The WHO also recommended the rural health clinics, where microscopes are often unavailable, use Rapid Diagnostic Tests because they are easy for community health workers to handle.

Each year there are 250 million cases of malaria and 860,000 deaths as a result. Approximately 85 percent of the deaths are children.