The purpose of this study was to provide stronger evidence for extended-dose chloroquine treatment of falciparum-positive Afghan refugees in Northwest Frontier Province (NWFP), Pakistan or justification for discontinuation of the policy.

To determine whether extended-dose chloroquine provided better cure rates and fewer recrudescences than standard chloroquine treatment among Afghan refugees, 163 falciparum patients from three Afghan refugee camps were recruited into 3-day (CQ 25mg/kg) or 5-day (CQ 40mg/kg) treatment arms and followed for up to 60 days.

Inclusion Criteria:

• slide-confirmed infection with P. falciparum only
• initial parasite density of 1000-100,000 asexual parasites/μl
• absence of severe malnutrition
• ability to attend stipulated follow-up visits and easy access to facility
• informed consent provided by patient or parent/guardian
• absence of history of hypersensitivity reactions to CQ

Exclusion Criteria:

• infants under six months old
• pregnancy or lactation
• underlying chronic severe illness
• patients with other febrile illnesses
• parasitaemia outside the range of 1000-100,000 asexual parasites/µl
• severe malaria