Description
OBJECTIVE
The World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended that the use of Mass Drug Administration (MDA) as a potential strategy for the elimination of plasmodium falciparum in regions approaching the interruption of transmission, as well as the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS), where the emergence of multidrug resistance is prevalent. This study aimed to review to the impact of mass drug administration in multidrug resistance against malaria.
METHODS
We conducted a narrative review of evidence to answer the aim of the study. The search was conducted in September 2021 and evidence published between March 2018 and June 2021 were included. Data reported in this article were obtained from reports, literature in peer-reviewed journals found in PubMed, PubMed Central, and ScienceDirect, grey literature, and other data sources. The authors also snowball further data to gather information for this review.
RESULTS
22 studies were included in this review. Our findings revealed that effective MDA eliminates drug-resistant parasites which has the benefits of extending the therapeutic life of first line treatments. We also found that increasing treatment coverage post-MDA enhances the possibility of local elimination in low-transmission areas however, there are evidences that MDA has the ability to accelerate the evolution of drug-resistant parasites following the rebound of malaria cases post-MDA.
CONCLUSION
There is need to emphasize on the relevance of a comprehensive and well-planned strategy to ensure that MDA becomes more effective in eliminating multidrug resistance against malaria. Creating public health infrastructures is also essential to provide a wider coverage of diagnosis and treatment post-MDA.
| Contact Geneva Health Forum | I would like to receive information about the GHF 2024 conference and other GHF activities / Je souhaite recevoir des informations sur la conférence GHF 2024 et d'autres activités du GHF. |
|---|
