The objective of treating uncomplicated malaria is to cure the infection. This is important as it will help prevent progression to severe disease and prevent additional morbidity associated with treatment failure. Cure of the infection means eradication from the body of the infection that caused the illness. In treatment evaluations in all settings, emerging evidence indicates that it is necessary to follow patients for long enough to document cure (see section 6.1). In assessing drug efficacy in high-transmission settings, temporary suppression of infection for 14 days is not considered sufficient by the group.
The public health goal of treatment is to reduce transmission of the infection to others, i.e. to reduce the infectious reservoir.4
4 Further information on antimalarials and malaria transmission is provided in Annex 4.
A secondary but equally important objective of treatment is to prevent the emergence and spread of resistance to antimalarials. Tolerability, the adverse effect profile and the speed of therapeutic response are also important considerations.
