Abstract
Chemotherapy remains the only practicable tool to control falciparum malaria in sub-Saharan Africa, where >90% of the world's burden of malaria mortality and morbidity occurs. Resistance is rapidly eroding the efficacy of chloroquine, and the combination pyrimethamine-sulfadoxine is the most commonly chosen alternative. Resistant populations of Plasmodium falciparum were selected extremely rapidly in Southeast Asia and South America. If this happens in sub-Saharan Africa, it will be a public health disaster because no inexpensive alternative is currently available. This article reviews the molecular mechanisms of this resistance and discusses how to extend the therapeutic life of antifolate drugs.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 582-588 |
| Number of pages | 7 |
| Journal | Trends in Parasitology |
| Volume | 17 |
| Issue number | 12 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 1 Dec 2001 |
| Externally published | Yes |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Parasitology
- Infectious Diseases