Malaria Treatment & Prevention
Artemisinin-based Combination Therapy (ACTs)
Tuesday, 15 April 2008
Plasmodium falciparum is increasingly resistant to various anti-malarial drugs.
As to fight anti-malarial drug resistances, since 2001, WHO has recommended to use combinations, namely comprising artemisinin : ACT (Artemisinin-based Combination Therapy). Several artemisinin based specialities are mentioned but very few of them comply with quality and reference standards.
Reported efficient combinations are :
* Artemether + lumefantrine
* Artesunate + amodiaquine
* Artesunate + sulfadoxine/pyrimethamine
* Artesunate + mefloquine
* Artesunate + sulfamethoxypyrazine/pyrimethamine
* Artesunate + pyronaridine (under development)
* Dihydroartemisinine + piperaquine
* Dihydroartemisinine + sulfadoxine/pyrimethamine
* Artemisinine + malaridine
Among those, Artemether + Lumefantrine is specifically recommended by WHO as it is the only WHO pre-qualified ACT at the time. Additionally, artesunate + amodiaquine, artesunate + sulfadoxine / pyrimethamine and artesunate + mefloquine are also proposed.
Last Updated ( Tuesday, 15 April 2008 )
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