Page 47 - The lraternational Journal of the Royal Society of Thailand.indd

The International Journal of the Royal Society of Thailand
Volume XV-2023

The Siem Pang health centre field station
Facilities at the health centre in Siem Pang, Stung Treng province, northeast
Cambodia, were established in 2018 beginning with the renovation of the study ward,

an office, and the establishment of a laboratory. The site has since been used to conduct
community-based trials, malaria treatment studies of both Plasmodium vivax and
plasmodium falciparum, and extensive community engagement and health education
activities (Tripura et al, 2022; Peto et al, 2022; Ean et al, 2021; Callery et al, 2021; Sanann

et al, 2019).

Research activities continued with only limited periodic interruptions despite
inter-provincial travel being curtailed at many times. Many local communities
are composed of ethnic minority groups living in forests and along local rivers.
During the pandemic, fears of outsiders bringing in infections meant that many

villages cut themselves off from contact with the outside world and visitors were not
permitted to enter. However, the trust built up during previous engagement activities
and the strong local leadership of an experienced health care worker with an extensive
community health background, meant that fieldwork could be carefully revised so as

to overcome these concerns and patients continued to attend studies at health facilities,
and the research team was welcomed when visiting for community-based research
activities. Globally, building relationship and trust with the community members have
been implicated as one of the critical foundations for ongoing and future research

(Adhikari & Cheah, 2021a; Adhikari et al, 2021b; Adhikari et al, 2022).

The Siem Pang research site has successfully completed PAL trial and has been
hosting three major studies. Among these three, two are multi-country clinical trials
and the other is a youth engagement project. Among the clinical trials, first one is
termed as Effectiveness of novel approaches to radical cure with tafenoquine and

primaquine – a randomized controlled trial in P. vivax patients’ (EFFORT) and the
second one is a multi-centre randomised controlled non-inferiority trial to compare
the efficacy, safety and tolerability of Triple Artemisinin-based Combination Therapies
versus first-line ACTs + placebo for the treatment of uncomplicated Plasmodium

falciparum malaria in Asia. Also known as DeTACT study. While EFFORT study has
completed the sample size (n = 220) and is continuing to follow-up, DeTACT is
ongoing with optimal recruitment rates.

Both studies ran without interruptions during COVID-19 pandemic because
adaptations were made to align with the COVID-19 restrictions in addition to

dedication of field staff. For instance, remote based monitoring and follow-up were
encouraged through digital resources (tele-connections/communications) while field

Dysoley Lek et al. 39