Assessment of Therapeutic Efficacy of Chloroquine on Uncomplicated Falciparum Malaria in Sistan-Baluchestan, Hormozgan and Kerman provinces in ۲۰۰۳

Background: Malaria is one of the most important parasitic diseases in Iran. Due to importantce of drug policy, monitoring of chloroquine therapeutic efficacy in uncomplicated falciparum cases was carried out in south and south-east of Iran in ۲۰۰۳. Materials and Methods: This discriptive study was carried out in five centers of Sistan-Baluchestan, Hormozgan and kerman provinces (south and south-east) according to the latest WHO protocol. Accordingly, ۴۶ patients suffering from falciparum malaria were followed up for ۲۸ days on the ۱st, ۲nd, ۳th, ۷th, ۲۱st and ۲۸th day following the treatment regarding the incidence of clinical symptoms and parasitemia and their responses to treatment were classified into four groups: sensitive, early treatment failure, late clinical failure and late parasitological failure. Then, the data were statistically analyzed. Results: Six people were excluded from the research due to different reasons and the study was carried out on ۴۶ patients. The results showed that only ۲۶.۱% of the patients were sensitive to chloroquine. ۱۵.۲% showed early treatment failure, ۲۸.۳% late clinical failure and ۳۰.۴% of them were late parasitological failure. Conclusions: Therapeatic effect of chloroquine seems little and should be investigated. Based on the above findings and probable same results in the next year, the first line drug regimen should be changed in treatment of uncomplicated falciparum malaria.

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KEY WORDS: Chloroquine , Falsiparum malaria , Iran