Journal
ACTA PARASITOLOGICA
Volume 67, Issue 1, Pages 55-60Publisher
SPRINGER INT PUBL AG
DOI: 10.1007/s11686-021-00489-y
Keywords
COVID-19; Malaria; Resistance; Artemisinin; Plasmodium falciparum
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Resistance to antimalarial drugs poses a significant challenge to malaria elimination in endemic regions, with Africa being particularly affected. Factors contributing to drug resistance include counterfeit medications, inadequate prescription controls, poor adherence to treatment plans, dosing errors, and the increasing use of unapproved antimalarials. The uncontrolled use of Artemisia annua for malaria prevention and COVID-19 could further exacerbate resistance to artemisinin-based combination therapies.
Plasmodium resistance to antimalarial drugs is an obstacle to the elimination of malaria in endemic areas. This situation is particularly dramatic for Africa, which accounts for nearly 92% of malaria cases worldwide. Drug pressure has been identified as a key factor in the emergence of antimalarial drug resistance. Indeed, this pressure is favoured by several factors, including the use of counterfeit forms of antimalarials, inadequate prescription controls, poor adherence to treatment regimens, dosing errors, and the increasing use of other forms of unapproved antimalarials. This resistance has led to the replacement of chloroquine (CQ) by artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) which are likely to become ineffective in the coming years due to the uncontrolled use of Artemisia annua in the sub-Saharan African region for malaria prevention and COVID-19. The use of Artemisia annua for the prevention of malaria and COVID-19 could be an important factor in the emergence of resistance to Artemisinin-based combination therapies.
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