Prospective strategies to delay the evolution of anti-malarial drug resistance: weighing the uncertainty

The Question

What strategies are most effective in delaying the evolution of anti-malarial drug resistance?

What we found

At a global scale, because of uncertainty about the time to the emergence of artemisinin combination therapy (ACT) resistance, there was a strong case for multiple first-line therapies (MFTs) to guard against early failure. Our study recommends developing operationally feasible strategies for implementing MFTs, such as distributing different ACTs at the clinic and for home-based care, or formulating different ACTs for children and adults.

Why it matters

Malaria is a widespread parasitic disease that affects humans, with approximately 2.37 billion people at risk.  New strategies are needed to delay the emergence of anti-malarial drug resistance, a phenomenon that will negatively impact eradication efforts and lead to greater mortality worldwide.