“We need a new Artesunate - the miracle drug fades” by NickLaing

TLDR: After artesunate rose from an obscure Chinese herb to be the lynchpin of malaria treatment, increasing resistance means we might need a fresh miracle. Back in 2010 I visited Uganda for the first time, a wide eyed medical intern in the Idyllic Kisiizi rural hospital. In my last week malaria struck me down, but there was a problem – a nationwide shortage meant that no adult artesunate doses remained. Through an awkward mix of white privilege and Ugandan hospitality, I was handed the last four children's doses to make up one adult dose. Even in my fever dream, I pondered the fate of those 4 kids who would miss out because of me… Act 1 – The Origin In the midst of the Vietnam war, a fierce arms race was afoot. But not for a killer – for a life saver. Troops died from more [...] The original text contained 2 footnotes which were omitted from this narration. The original text contained 3 images which were described by AI. --- First published: February 23rd, 2025 Source: https://forum.effectivealtruism.org/posts/RLCfqw9DKchfngv3f/we-need-a-new-artesunate-the-miracle-drug-fades --- Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO. ---Images from the article:Apple Podcasts and Spotify do not show images in the episode description. Try Pocket Casts, or another podcast app.