In tropical countries malaria kills about 2.7 million people every year. This total includes one million children. That means, a child dies of malaria somewhere in the world every 30 seconds.

One could suggest that the mosquito Anopheles, or Plasmodium falciparum, is the worst terrorist in the world.

The money spent in the war against the terrorism of malaria is tiny compared with the money spent in the world of guns and bombs.

Even so, great advances have been made in pharmaceutical technology, but many of the poorest people in the world continue to suffer from this terrorist. The pharmaceutical industry can make bigger profits in other areas, and northern governments spend their billions in their so-called war against terrorism.

There is a solution, however, for those more concerned about health than profit, and more concerned about local economic development than Gross National Product. It is that Artemisia annua anamed (A-3) be grown by small-scale farmers, and by health centres and hospitals in their medicinal gardens. The leaves are harvested and dried, and then used to treat malaria as tea.

Artemisia tea has been found to be effective by those many communities and health centres that continue to use it. Most users claim that, following treatment with artemisia tea, the interval before the next malaria attack becomes much longer. Compared with modern pharmaceuticals, and even with artemisinin based drugs, the tea contains a wider range of anti-malarial components. This reduces the danger of resistance developing.

A-3 is also helpful with many other dieseases and complaints:

• Artemisia tea strengthens the immune system of AIDS patients.
• Haemorrhoids, as tea and ointment.
• Eye infections, using artemisia tea internally and, finely filtered, as an eye bath.
• Bronchitis, as tea and inhalation.
• Skin complaints, as ointment.
• Digestion problems, as tea.
• Bilharzia, as tea.
• As supportive treatment with cancer. Read a discussion paper about artemisia and cancer

The Anamed Malaria Programme now includes several hundred people in more than 75 countries who are growing A-3, using it to treat malaria and other diseases, and giving feedback. This feedback is then shared via circular letters (see below) so that our pool of common knowledge and experience is continually increasing.

If you live and work where malaria is a daily hazard, we invite you to grow and use Artemisia annua anamed yourself. Establish a nursery, and take cuttings once a month. Harvest the leaves, dry them and store them for use whenever required. Then teach your neighbours. Such an initiative not only helps people to be more healthy, but, as a direct result, helps to raise the economic level of the entire community.

The picture shows artemisia being grown in a village in Karamoja, in a remote part of North East Uganda. We recommend the use of mulch, and intercropping with other plants, e.g. maize, beans or tephrosia.

Would you like to grow your own artemisia plants? Buy seeds in an Artemisia Starter-Kit. This kit contains seeds and all you need to know about the cultivation and use of artemisia. The kit has now been used by more than 900 people in more than 75 countries.

Read our circular letters:

• July 2008
• July 2007
• May 2006 “Artemisia annua Tea - a revolution in the history of tropical medicine”
• January 2006 (pdf file) “The economics of the cultivation and sale of artemisia”, “A story of local economic development from Ethiopia” and “The economic impact of malaria”.
• January 2005

Read a detailed account of how to treat malaria with Artemisia annua anamed

Read accounts written by the World Agroforestry Centre
“Artemisia tea in Mozambique” and “Home grown cure for malaria” (This site takes a few moments to appear)

Artemisia tea as prophylaxis?

Read about a possible malaria programme in tropical countries

Clinical Results of the Use of Artemisia annua tea