Clearance Failure Rates of Plasmodium falciparum after Treatment among Children (6-11 years) in Kisumu East Sub County

摘要

Plasmodium falciparum is said to be yet sensitive to artemether-lumefantrine (AL) among all age groups in Kisumu County, despites report of its isolated strain with reduced sensitivity in Kilifi and reported reduced sensitivity to artemisinins in South East Asia. This trial intended to compare Plasmodium falciparum clearance failure rates among children (6-11 years) with uncomplicated falciparum malaria randomly allocated to artesunate-mefloquine or generic artemether-lumefantrine. We conducted a two arms open label randomized controlled trial with a fourteen day follow up and a sample size of 130 children with uncomplicated falciparum malaria in government primary schools of Kisumu East Sub County. This study showed Plasmodium falciparum clearance failure rates significantly higher (P = 0.02) with generic artemether-lumefantrine than with artesunate-mefloquine on day one of treatment. However, no significant difference (P = 0.999) was observed between the two arms on day seven and day fourteen of treatment. Thus, Plasmodium falciparum was less likely to fail to clear as it responded to artesunate-mefloquine than to generic artemether-lumefantrine on day one of treatment. Nevertheless, it was unlikely to fail to clear as it responded to both artesunate-mefloquine and generic artemether-lumefantrine on day seven and day fourteen of treatment.