Africans suffering from malaria may be getting sub-standard treatment, a study by US-based experts has suggested.

Researchers from the Pharmacopeia group found that between 26% and 44% of anti-malaria drugs in Uganda, Senegal and Madagascar were of poor quality.

The group, conducting the study for the World Health Organization, said low-grade drugs are used in both public and private health practices.

Some 90% of malaria deaths in the world occur in Africa.

The experts subjected 200 samples of anti-malaria drugs to quality-control testing in a US laboratory.

They found 44% of the drugs from Senegal failed the testing, followed by 30% from Madagascar and 26% from Uganda.