WHO calls for stronger monitoring of antimalarial drug efficacy to prevent drug resistance

The World Health Organization is calling on countries to be increasingly vigilant in monitoring antimalarial drug efficacy in order to allow for early detection of artemisinin resistance. This is one among several conclusions of the “Global report on antimalarial drug efficacy and drug resistance: 2000–2010,” released today.

The report, which is based on 1,100 studies conducted by national malaria control programs and research institutes over the 10-year period, estimates that only 34% of malaria-endemic countries are complying with WHO recommendations to routinely monitor the efficacy of first- and second-line antimalarial medicines.

“A greater political commitment to support and sustain national monitoring of the efficacy of antimalarial medicines is critical to prevent a wider emergence of artemisinin resistance,” said Pascal Ringwald of the Drug Resistance and Containment Unit, within the WHO's Global Malaria Program and one of the report authors.