Abstract
Research activities at the Unit are directed mainly towards the development and evaluation of drugs and drug regimens for the prophylaxis and treatment of drug-resistant malaria. Although most investigations involve Plasmodium falciparum, P. vivax is receiving more attention following the Unit's documentation that some strains have become resistant to chloroquine. Novel approaches developed by the Unit have led to the evaluation of proguanil/dapsone (low dose) and doxycydine/primaquine for malaria prophylaxis. Both drug combinations have been very effective in controlling malaria during preliminary field studies. The doxycycline/primaquine regimen appears to have the added advantage of providing protection (not only suppression) against vivax malaria. If this is confirmed by further studies, it will no longer be necessary to take the cumberscnie primaquine eradication course after likely exposure to malaria. The Unit is also involved in characterizing the drug resistance pattern of malaria parasites in the southwest Pacific area. The drug susceptibility of parasites can be determined if heparinised blood specimens, collected before treatment, are received by the Unit within 24 hours of their collection. Such information would be of benefit in the clinical management of malaria patients.
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