Antimalarial Drug Resistance and Vulnerable Groups

Abstract

Despite the many advances in the control, malaria remains a major public health challenge, especially in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia where it is endemic. Drug treatment is a very important and common measure for the control of malaria. One of the challenges in the chemotherapy of malaria is treatment failure which is caused by various factors of which drug resistance plays a major role. Chloroquine remained the gold standard for the treatment of malaria for several years until it became ineffective because of resistance. Resistance to the artemisinin that is currently the mainstay of malaria treatment represents a major threat to the control of malaria. The predominant factor maintaining the global burden of malaria is resistance to the drugs. Individuals with lower immunity such as HIV-positive patients, children and pregnant women are more vulnerable to antimalarial drug resistance. Survival of residuum parasites is enhanced in situations of reduced immunity. The implication of antimalarial drug resistance is such that there is continued transmission of drug-resistant parasites thereby limiting the efforts to control malaria. Efforts to monitor and control the development of resistance to this class of drugs should be enforced and put in place to ensure the sustenance of the efficacy of these drugs.