Question
What is the relative effectiveness of chloroquine+sulfadoxine+pyrimethamine, amodiaquine+sulfadoxine+pyrimethamine, and amodiaquine+artesunate in children with uncomplicated falciparum malaria in Africa?
Study design
Three-arm randomised controlled trial
Main results
Amodiaquine+sulfadoxine+pyrimethamine and amodiaquine+artesunate significantly reduced the risk of treatment failure and the need for rescue therapy compared with chloroquine+sulfadoxine+pyrimethamine at 28 days (; see results table). Amodiaquine+artesunate significantly reduced treatment failure compared with amodiaquine+sulfadoxine+pyrimethamine at 28 days, but there was no significant difference in the need for rescue therapy (see results table).
Authors’ conclusions
Amodiaquine based combination therapies should be considered as an alternative to chloroquine+sulfadoxine+pyrimethamine in children with uncomplicated falciparum malaria.