Medicine
Tu Youyou
An ancient text. A stubborn question. A malaria treatment.
The problem
A question worth answering.
Malaria remained a devastating disease, and existing treatments were failing in some places.
What they did
Tu and her research team studied historical medical texts and tested plant extracts. Their work led to artemisinin, a potent antimalarial compound.
What changed
Artemisinin-based combination therapies remain central to malaria treatment. The discovery shows how careful testing turns a promising clue into useful medicine.
Where you meet their legacy
In the knowledge, systems and people who carry the work forward today.
Evidence and further reading
This story does not assign sole credit for a collective achievement.