Details

Autor(en) / Beteiligte

• Assefa, Ashenafi
• Parr, Jonathan B

Titel

Universal radical cure: prospects and challenges for malaria elimination

Ist Teil von

• The Lancet (British edition), 2023-12, Vol.402 (10417), p.2049-2051

Ort / Verlag

England: Elsevier Ltd

Erscheinungsjahr

2023

Quelle

MEDLINE

Beschreibungen/Notizen

• Despite increases in global Plasmodium falciparum malaria cases, a number of countries have achieved malaria elimination.1 Countries nearing elimination must often contend with both P falciparum, the deadliest cause of malaria in humans, and non-falciparum species like Plasmodium vivax. Primaquine and tafenoquine are the only two available anti-malarial drugs in this group, but they pose a risk of significant toxicity in people with glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency, can cause gastrointestinal side-effects, and complicate treatment regimens.3 Our understanding of G6PD deficiency's global prevalence and distribution is incomplete.4,5 G6PD screening before treatment for P vivax radical cure is recommended, though some countries use supervised 0·25 mg/kg low-dose primaquine for 14 days without screening.6 G6PD screening adds complexity to malaria control and elimination strategies, particularly in low-resource settings where P falciparum and P vivax co-exist. Malaria is caused by the Plasmodium falciparum parasite, which is transmitted into the bloodstream by mosquito bites.