Antimalarial resistance in Africa
Malaria has shown a decline between 2010-2020 in Africa. This success was partly achieved through the integrated and systematic approach of antimalarial deployment in different settings in Africa.
This includes the use of artemisinin combination therapy (ACT) and chemoprevention strategies. ACTs have played an important role in the policy of rapid diagnosis and early treatment in managing cases and reducing onward transmission of malaria parasites. Chemoprevention strategies such as seasonal malaria chemoprevention (SMC), perennial malaria prevention (PMC) and intermittent malaria prevention in pregnancy (IPTp) have been critical in reducing infection as well as on-ward transmission.
The scaling-up of antimalarial use in Africa inevitably results in selective pressure on malaria parasites and causes the emergence of parasites resistant to antimalarials. Therefore, systematic surveillance of the emergence and spread of malaria parasites harbouring gene variants associated with resistance to antimalarial drugs is an important component of malaria control strategy.
In this talk, Khalid Beshir and Colin Sutherland (LSHTM) will present data from surveillance of molecular markers of resistance and discuss the implications for the efficacy and effectiveness of antimalarial interventions in Africa.
Speakers
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Dr Khalid B Beshir, Department of Infection Biology, Infectious and Tropical Diseases, LSHTM
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Dr Colin J Sutherland, Department of Infection Biology, Infectious and Tropical Diseases, LSHTM
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