Short Course Primaquine for the Radical Cure of P. Vivax Malaria - Indonesia

Feasibility of High Daily Dose Short Course Primaquine After G6PD Testing for the Radical Cure of Plasmodium Vivax Malaria

The proportion of malaria that is the Plasmodium vivax species is increasing in Indonesia. Reducing vivax malaria will require innovative solutions to cure both the blood and liver stages of the disease. This study will evaluate of the feasibility of implementing point-of-care glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency (G6PD) testing. This will be followed by high dose, short course primaquine treatment regimens for patients with vivax malaria, and combined with patient education, surveillance, and pharmacovigilance. We plan to implement the study at 6 health facilities across Indonesia using a staged before-and-after study, with a mixed method evaluation.

Significant gains have been made in reducing the overall burden of malaria worldwide, however these have been far greater for Plasmodium falciparum than P. vivax. P. vivax remains a major obstacle to malaria control and elimination efforts, largely due to its ability to form dormant liver stages (hypnozoites) that allow it to escape detection and treatment. Importantly, they are susceptible only to 8 aminoquinolines such as primaquine however, primaquine is associated with risk of haemolysis in individuals with a genetic condition, called glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency.

Additionally, the recommended 14-day prolonged treatment regimen is associated with poor treatment adherence hence ineffective primaquine treatment. Innovative solutions to the radical cure of both the blood and liver stages of P. vivax are urgently required.

The Indonesian Ministry of Health has requested a pragmatic study of the feasibility and cost-effectiveness of implementing point-of-care G6PD testing followed by high-dose, short-course primaquine treatment regimens for patients with vivax malaria. These interventions are to be combined with practicable enhancements to patient education, supervision, malariometric surveillance and pharmacovigilance.

This will be a before-after longitudinal health facility-based study implemented at six sites in Indonesia; four in Papua, one in North Sumatra and one in Lampung. We will use a staged approach for the implementation of the revised case management strategy, including patient education and counselling,community-based clinical review, with mixed methods evaluation.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Patients with vivax malaria

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patients who are pregnant
• Patients who are breastfeeding
• Patients with a Hb <8g/dL
• Patients with a previous adverse reaction to primaquine
• Patient with severe malaria