Interaction between Antimarial and Antibacterials as possible contributor to development of multi-drug resistant <i>P. falciparum</i> in a malaria endemic region

Abstract

In recent times clinical outcomes following the use of the major anti malarial drugs such chloroquine and sulphadoxine – pyrimethamine, has become complicated and difficult to predict because of the increasing prevalence of multi-drug resistant P. falciparum malaria.

Consequently, the armamentarium of sale and efficacious drugs required to wage a successful war against malaria is beginning to dwindle. Although newer chemotherapeutic strategies, such as the use of artemisinin combination regimen, have been employed to overcome this problem, there remains a need to safeguard the few compounds available from falling into the pitfalls arising from possible mistakes of the past. This paper reviews measures that have been take so far to tackle the malaria drug resistance problem and focuses on an aspect, which has remained largely under appreciated – the possible role of antimalarial-antibacterial interaction in the selection and spread of mutant strains of P. falciparum in a malaria endemic region where both classes of compounds are frequently co-administered.


NQJHM Vol. 16 (1) 2005: pp. 30-36