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The International Journal of the Royal Society of Thailand
Volume XI - 2019

of dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine with single low dose primaquine) while the
other two villages did not receive MDA and served as control for one year after
which they received also MDA. Tri-monthly parasitaemia surveys using qPCR

were conducted for a year in all 4 villages. The results showed that the incidence
of P. falciparum infections was significantly reduced with the MDA (adjusted
incidence rate ratios = 0.08, CI 0.01-0.091). MDA was safe, well-tolerated, feasible,
and achieved high population coverage and adherence. This study could be a
model for the use of MDA in countries in the Greater Mekong Sub-region where
multidrug-resistant falciparum infection is spreading and threatening the malaria
elimination programme.

Figure 7 Study sites in Savannakhet Province of Laos (Pongyongsa et al., 2018)

Summary

The malaria elimination programme has been implemented in Thailand
for the last two decades but the WHO targets have not been reached resulting
from a slower reduction of the malaria burden than expected. This calls for a
renewed effort of malaria control and containment of artemisinin-resistant
P. falciparum parasites. The Faculty of Tropical Medicine, as a leader in malaria
research, has contributed new knowledge and innovation in controlling malaria

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