Abstract

BACKGROUND:

The use of drug combinations, including non-artemisinin-based and artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT), is a novel strategy that enhances therapeutic efficacy and delays the emergence of multidrug-resistant Plasmodium falciparum. Its use is strongly recommended in most sub-Saharan African countries, namely Cameroon, where resistance to chloroquine is widespread and antifolate resistance is emerging.

METHODS:

Studies were conducted in Cameroonian children with acute uncomplicated P. falciparum malaria according to the standard World Health Organization protocol at four sentinel sites between 2003 and 2007. A total of 1,401 children were enrolled, of whom 1,337 were assigned to randomized studies and 64 were included in a single non-randomized study. The proportions of adequate clinical and parasitological response (PCR-uncorrected on day 14 and PCR-corrected on day 28) were the primary endpoints to evaluate treatment efficacy on day 14 and day 28. The relative effectiveness of drug combinations was compared by a multi-treatment Bayesian random-effect meta-analysis.

FINDINGS:

The results based on the meta-analysis suggested that artesunate-amodiaquine (AS-AQ) is as effective as other drugs (artesunate-sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine [AS-SP], artesunate-chlorproguanil-dapsone [AS-CD], artesunate-mefloquine [AS-MQ], dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine [DH-PP], artemether-lumefantrine [AM-LM], amodiaquine, and amodiaquine-sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine [AQ-SP]). AM-LM appeared to be the most effective with no treatment failure due to recrudescence, closely followed by DH-PP.

CONCLUSION:

Although AM-LM requires six doses, rather than three doses for other artemisinin-based combinations, it has potential advantages over other forms of ACT. Further studies are needed to evaluate the clinical efficacy and tolerance of these combinations in different epidemiological context.