Following the update of the DRC’s national malaria treatment protocol, Pharmakina brought together more than 500 health professionals, malaria experts and public health leaders in Kinshasa to examine the changes, strengthen clinical knowledge and discuss the evolving place of quinine in malaria treatment.
On 17 September 2026, Pharmakina hosted the scientific conference “Optimizing the Fight Against Malaria in the DRC – 2026 Protocol: Quinine-Based Combination Therapies (QCT)” at the Hilton Kinshasa.
The conference followed the update of the national malaria treatment protocol, creating an opportunity for physicians and other health professionals to better understand the changes and discuss their implications for clinical practice.
Dr. Baudouin Matela Baangi, Director of the Programme National de Lutte contre le Paludisme (PNLP), presented the key changes introduced in the updated protocol, setting the framework for the scientific discussions that followed.
Interest from the medical community was particularly strong. Approximately 570 participants attended the conference, filling the venue beyond the capacity initially anticipated. Physicians actively engaged with the speakers, and the questions and requests for further information on the new protocol and malaria treatment highlighted the need for continued access to up-to-date clinical knowledge.
A commitment to local pharmaceutical capacity
Opening the conference, Roland Decorvet, Chairman of Pharmakina, connected the scientific discussions with a broader ambition to strengthen pharmaceutical production and health autonomy in the DRC and across Africa.
“We have here a unique case: an African solution to an African problem, manufactured in Africa by Africans.”
— Roland Decorvet, Chairman of Pharmakina
In his address, Decorvet highlighted Pharmakina’s continued investment in pharmaceutical production in the DRC, including the expansion of its Bukavu facility, plans for future production capacity in Kinshasa, and the development of new quinine-based formats and therapeutic combinations.
For Pharmakina, this ambition builds on more than 80 years of pharmaceutical experience in the DRC and a commitment to transforming local expertise and resources into medicines manufactured in the country.
From an updated protocol to clinical practice
The scientific program brought together leading Congolese experts to examine different aspects of malaria management and translate the updated treatment framework into clinical practice.
Prof. Dr. Gauthier Mesia Kahunu, Professor at the University of Kinshasa’s Unit of Clinical Pharmacology and Pharmacovigilance, addressed malaria treatment guidelines in the DRC and the evolving challenge of antimalarial resistance.
His presentation examined therapeutic efficacy and resistance to antimalarial medicines, as well as the importance of surveillance, rational use of medicines, access to quality treatments and continued research as resistance patterns evolve.
Prof. Dr. Hippolyte N. Situakibanza, Professor of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, focused on the management of severe malaria and the place of quinine in the DRC in 2026.
His presentation emphasized the importance of correct diagnosis, early recognition of severe malaria and appropriate hospital management, while reviewing the therapeutic options available for severe cases and the place of quinine within the current treatment framework.
Prof. Dr. Bodi Mabbiala Joseph, Head of Pediatric Emergency Services at the University Clinics of Kinshasa, examined the broader malaria treatment pathway, from uncomplicated malaria to treatment failure and severe malaria, including quinine-based therapeutic combinations.
Together, the presentations highlighted that effective malaria management requires more than access to medicines. It also depends on accurate diagnosis, a strong understanding of treatment protocols, appropriate therapeutic choices, monitoring of treatment efficacy and continued attention to antimalarial resistance.
A strong demand for continued medical knowledge
The scientific discussions were moderated by Dr. Aketi Loukia and generated strong participation from the physicians and health professionals attending the conference.
The high attendance, positive feedback on the speakers and numerous requests for additional information on the updated protocol and treatment approaches pointed to one of the conference’s most important conclusions: updating a national protocol is only the first step. Ensuring that healthcare professionals understand the changes and can translate them into clinical practice is equally important.
This need for continued knowledge-sharing is particularly significant in the DRC, which remains one of the countries most affected by malaria.
According to the WHO World Malaria Report 2025, approximately 282 million malaria cases and 610,000 deaths were recorded globally in 2024. The WHO African Region accounted for approximately 94% of global malaria cases and 95% of global malaria deaths, while the DRC accounted for 11.7% of malaria deaths in the African Region.
Connecting scientific knowledge with local pharmaceutical production
For Pharmakina, the discussions in Kinshasa have a direct connection to its pharmaceutical activities in the DRC.
Founded in Bukavu in 1942, Pharmakina has developed more than eight decades of expertise around quinine, connecting cinchona sourcing and processing with pharmaceutical manufacturing.
Among Pharmakina’s locally manufactured quinine-based treatments is injectable quinine, which has a place in the management of severe malaria within the national treatment framework discussed during the conference.
The scientific presentations also addressed quinine-based combinations and their potential place within the evolving malaria treatment landscape, alongside the need to continue studying therapeutic efficacy and resistance.
For a country carrying such a significant share of the global malaria burden, strengthening local pharmaceutical production can contribute to more resilient medicine supply chains, reduce dependence on imports and retain pharmaceutical and industrial expertise within the DRC.
Pharmakina continues to invest in this capacity. As highlighted by its Chairman during the conference, the company is expanding its production facility in Bukavu and planning future production capacity in Kinshasa, while developing additional quinine-based pharmaceutical formats and combinations.
The company’s quinine value chain also begins locally, with cinchona cultivated in the Kivu region and relationships with local producers. Through initiatives including the SEEDS project, Pharmakina is working to strengthen the sustainability of this supply chain while supporting the communities behind an essential pharmaceutical raw material.
Continuing the exchange
The turnout in Kinshasa and the engagement of participating physicians demonstrated a strong appetite for further scientific exchange around the 2026 malaria treatment protocol and the evolving management of malaria in the DRC.
The conference brought together the institutions responsible for national malaria strategy, experts studying treatment and resistance, healthcare professionals applying the protocol in daily practice, and the pharmaceutical sector working to strengthen local access to treatment.
For Pharmakina, continuing this dialogue is part of a commitment that began more than 80 years ago: combining scientific knowledge, pharmaceutical expertise and local production capacity to contribute to the fight against malaria in the DRC.
Healthcare professionals can access the updated national malaria treatment protocol below.
Download the 2026 National Malaria Treatment Protocol
