Compliance, safety, and effectiveness of fixed-dose artesunate-amodiaquine for presumptive treatment of non-severe malaria in the context of home management of malaria in Madagascar.
Home management of malaria is recommended for prompt, effective antimalarial treatment in children less than five years of age. Compliance, safety, and effectiveness of the new fixed-dose artesunate-amodiaquine regimen used to treat suspected malaria were assessed in febrile children enrolled in a 24-month cohort study in two settings in Madagascar. Children with fever were asked to visit community health workers. Presumptive antimalarial treatment was given and further visits were scheduled for follow-up. The primary endpoint was the risk of clinical/parasitologic treatment failure. Secondary outcomes included fever/parasite clearance, change in hemoglobin levels, and frequency of adverse events. The global clinical cure rate was 98.4% by day 28 and 97.9% by day 42. Reported compliance was 83.4%. No severe adverse effects were observed. This study provides comprehensive data concerning the clinical cure rate obtained with artesunate-amodiaquine and evidence supporting the scaling up of home management of malaria.
Ministère de la Santé, du Planning Familial et de la Protection Sociale, Antananarivo, Madagascar. arsene.ratsimbasoa@laposte.net
Arsène
A
Ratsimbasoa
Harintsoa
H
Ravony
Jeanne-Aimée
JA
Vonimpaisomihanta
Rogelin
R
Raherinjafy
Martial
M
Jahevitra
Rabenja
R
Rapelanoro
Jean De Dieu Marie
Jde D
Rakotomanga
Denis
D
Malvy
Pascal
P
Millet
Didier
D
Ménard
D000655:Amodiaquine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000962:Antimalarials / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D037621:Artemisinins / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004338:Drug Combinations; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008270:Madagascar / Q000453:epidemiology; D016778:Malaria, Falciparum / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000635:transmission; D008297:Male; D010349:Patient Compliance; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000187:drug effects; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000962:Antimalarials; D037621:Artemisinins; D004338:Drug Combinations; C515299:amodiaquine, artesunate drug combination; D000655:Amodiaquine