Antimalarial drug resistance in Uganda

ABSTRACT

Malaria remains one of the most serious global health problems and a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in Uganda. Appropriate case management; focusing on prompt treatment with effective antimalarial drugs; is the foundation of malaria control throughout sub-Saharan Africa. for decades; chloroquine (CQ) was the mainstay of antimalarial therapy; but the emergence of P.falciparum resistance to CQ has challenges control efforts. The spread of CQ resistance has been temporally associated with increased malaria-related morbidity and mortality in Africa; highlighting the urgent need to change antimalarial treatment policy in the face of rising CQ resistance. Unfortunately; the optimal alternative to CQ is not clear and available drugs are limited by cost; efficacy; and safety concerns. Agents currently under consideration in Uganda include sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP or Fansidar); amodiaquine (AQ); artemisinin deriatives (artesunate [AS]); and combinations of these agents