Around the World: United Kingdom

Pricey malaria drugs no help

Nearly a million people die from malaria each year because they cannot afford the most effective treatment and instead often buy old drugs to which the malaria parasite has become resistant, researchers said yesterday. Artemisinin combination therapy, or ACT, drugs can cost as much as 65 times the daily minimum wage in some African countries, according to a study of six high-risk nations. ACTs can cost up to $11 to patients buying over the counter, while older and less effective drugs cost just 30 cents.