Treating malaria

The aim of treatment is to fight an established parasite infection and includes:

• elimination of the parasites
• supportive measures to overcome morbidity associated with infection
• monitoring - to ensure early diagnosis and treatment of complications that can lead to death within hours.

Acute treatment is the ‘traditional’ role for antimalarial drugs. Current antimalarials are effective and indispensable for eliminating the malarial parasite. However, the range of drugs is limited, and reduced efficacy due to increasing resistance, relatively poor tolerability and a cumbersome dosage regimen have led to the drive to develop new compounds.

The choice of an antimalarial depends on a variety of factors including:

• parasite type
• level of drug resistance
• patient’s general health and medical history
• availability of medications in the country of prescription
• intended use (prophylactic or therapeutic).