Mode of action and choice of antimalarial drugs for intermittent preventive treatment in infants☆
Received 26 May 2009; received in revised form 4 June 2009; accepted 4 June 2009.
Summary
Intermittent preventive treatment in infants (IPTi) is an effective and safe malaria control strategy. However, it remains unclear what antimalarials should be used to replace sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP) when and where SP is no longer an effective drug for IPTi. Work recently conducted in Tanzania, combined with the findings of previous studies, indicates that IPTi is essentially intermittent chemoprophylaxis; consequently, long-acting antimalarials that provide a long period of post-treatment prophylaxis will be the most effective alternative to SP. However, because of concerns about development of drug resistance, new combinations of long-acting drugs are urgently needed.
aLondon School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London WC1E 7HT, UK
bNational Institute for Medical Research, Tanga Centre, PO Box 5004, Tanga, Tanzania
cKilimanjaro Christian Medical College, PO Box 2240, Moshi, Tanzania
Corresponding author.
☆ Based on a presentation to the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine & Hygiene Research in Progress meeting on 18 December 2008. This oral presentation was awarded third prize at the meeting.