Enhancing clinical management of paediatric malaria in endemic areas with transmission of multiple Plasmodium species: Optimised primaquine treatment for children with uncomplicated malaria due to infection with either P. vivax or P. falciparum

Objective:

• To advance the treatment of paediatric malaria in areas with intense transmission of multiple Plasmodium species in relation to prevention of both post-treatment relapses of P. vivax and gametocyte carriage following uncomplicated malaria with either species.

Aims:

• to accurately define a possible pharmacokinetic interaction via cytochrome P450 2D6 inhibition, between the lumefantrine component of artemether-lumefantrine and primaquine;
• to perform a comparative study (using a relapse control cohort) of the efficacy of an abbreviated course of high-dose primaquine given with artemether-lumefantrine to prevent relapses of P. vivax and gametocyte carriage in children in Papua New Guinea with uncomplicated malaria due to either Plasmodium species;
• to perform a randomized, open label, comparative study of early versus delayed primaquine treatment given with artemether-lumefantrine to prevent P. vivax and gametocyte carriage in children in Papua New Guinea with uncomplicated malaria due to either Plasmodium species.