BMJ  2004;328 (6 March), doi:10.1136/bmj.328.7439.0

Efficacy of malaria treatment shows some decline

Sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine has good therapeutic efficacy but diminishing clinical and parasitological efficacy ten years after its introduction in Malawi. Plowe and colleagues (p 545) studied 1377 patients treated with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine from 1998 to 2002 in Malawi. Although the clinical response in the first 14 days was adequate and did not change over the five years, the rates of parasite clearance declined over time. This may presage a decline in efficacy and new effective treatment may soon be required, the authors say.

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Relevant Article

Sustained clinical efficacy of sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine for uncomplicated falciparum malaria in Malawi after 10 years as first line treatment: five year prospective study

Christopher V Plowe, James G Kublin, Fraction K Dzinjalamala, Deborah S Kamwendo, Rabia A G Mukadam, Phillips Chimpeni, Malcolm E Molyneux, and Terrie E Taylor
BMJ 2004 328: 545. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

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