A three-arm randomized trial conducted by Ivo Mueller of the Papua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research, Madang, Papua New Guinea, and colleagues among infants in Papua New Guinea estimates the preventive effect against malaria episodes of intermittent preventive treatment, in an area where children are exposed to both falciparum and vivax malaria. Their findings, published in this week's PLoS Medicine, show that intermittent preventive treatment given during infancy at the time of routine immunizations using a combination of long-lasting antimalarial drugs can effectively and safely prevent malaria in a non-African population living in a region where P. falciparum and P. vivax are both highly endemic.
Funding: This work was supported by a grant to the PNG Institute of Medical Research from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's Global Health Program (Grand ID# 34678). The funder had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. This work was made possible through Victorian State Government Operational Infrastructure Support and Australian Government NHMRC IRIISS.
Competing Interests: SJR is a member of the PLoS Medicine Editorial Board. The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.
Citation: Senn N, Rarau P, Stanisic DI, Robinson L, Barnadas C, et al. (2012) Intermittent Preventive Treatment for Malaria in Papua New Guinean Infants Exposed to Plasmodium falciparum and P. vivax: A Randomized Controlled Trial. PLoS Med 9(3): e1001195. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1001195
CONTACT:
Ivo Mueller
Papua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research
Madang
Papua New Guinea
ivomueller@fastmail.fm
Journal
PLoS Medicine