A Clinical approach to the treatment of Artemisinin-Resistant Plasmodium falciparum Malaria in India

Abstract

Treatment failure in P. falciparum Malaria is a major dilemma that faces health care workers
throughout the country. True Artemisinin-resistance is one of the causes after ruling out compliance and drug
quality issues and Sulphadoxine-Pyrimethamine resistance. The other cause is re-infection with a new strain
of the parasite during the treatment period.

It is found that a combination of oral Quinine and oral Clindamycin can be given for Artemisinin-
resistant P. falciparum Malaria patients living in the North-East of India. Those living in the rest of the
country should first be treated for Sulphadoxine-Pyrimethamine resistance with Artemether-Lumefantrine. If
there is no response, they can be given Quinine and Clindamycin.

Awareness among health care providers on how to treat Artemisinin-resistant P. falciparum Malaria
can be improved. This paper addresses this issue.