Current clinical efficacy of chloroquine for the treatment of Plasmodium falciparum infections in urban Dar es Salaam, United Republic of Tanzania

Authors

Zul Premji, Aga Khan UniversityFollow
C. Makwaya, Muhimbili University College of Health Sciences
J.N. Minjas, Muhimbili University College of Health Sciences

Document Type

Article

Department

Pathology (East Africa)

Abstract

Reported is the use of a 14-day WHO protocol, which takes into account the clinical, parasitological and haematological responses to antimalarial drugs, to determine the efficacy of chloroquine in the treatment of uncomplicated malaria in young children (n = 200) in urban Dar es Salaam. Chloroquine failure was found in 43% of the children. Of these, 12.5% were considered to be early treatment failures and were given a single dose of sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine. Fever subsided in all children treated with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine and there were no parasitological failures. In addition, children treated with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine because of early treatment failure with chloroquine had better haematological recovery than the chloroquine-sensitive group. It is concluded that chloroquine can no longer be considered an effective therapy for P. falciparum malaria in young children in Dar es Salaam.

Comments

This work was published prior to author’s joining Aga Khan University

Publication (Name of Journal)

Bulletin of the World Health Organization

Recommended Citation

Premji, Z., Makwaya, C., Minjas, J. (1999). Current clinical efficacy of chloroquine for the treatment of Plasmodium falciparum infections in urban Dar es Salaam, United Republic of Tanzania. Bulletin of the World Health Organization, 77(9), 740-744.
Available at: https://ecommons.aku.edu/eastafrica_fhs_mc_pathol/89