The Asia Pacific Leaders Malaria Alliance and Asia Pacific Malaria Elimination Network Welcome Single-dose Treatment for P. vivax Malaria

The Asia Pacific Leaders Malaria Alliance and Asia Pacific MalariaElimination Network Welcome Single-dose Treatment for P. vivax Malaria

Singapore, 17 March 2022 – The Asia Pacific Leaders Malaria Alliance (APLMA) and Asia Pacific Malaria Elimination Network (APMEN) welcomes recently approved (14 March 2022) use of single-dose tafenoquine by the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) for the prevention of relapsing Plasmodium vivax (P. vivax) malaria in children aged 2 years and above. Tafenoquine as a complementary paediatricmalaria prevention tool, used in combination with other proven tools, is an importantaddition to the fight against malaria in Asia Pacific.

Dr SarthakDas, CEO of APLMA, said: “Malaria causedby P. vivax is a very serious problem in Asia Pacific. The region accounts for overhalf of the global P. vivax burden. While we have made tremendous stridestowards eliminating malaria in the region, this treatment provides crucialprotection against malaria for our most vulnerable populations and is a welcomecontribution to our existing armoury of tools.

We now call onleaders to step up investment to accelerate the delivery of new and existingtools, and strengthen healthcare infrastructure to combat this devastatingdisease, particularly in the most remote parts of the region.”

Amita Chebbi,Senior Director of APLMA & APMEN said: P. vivax malaria is incredibly dangerousfor children. An easy to use, dispersible treatment will be valuable and potentiallylifesaving in pockets of the region where the only means of access to healthcareis through a network of extraordinary community health workers. Although we arefar off from a silver bullet to end malaria for good, this development is a positivestep in the right direction.

Thereare more than 800,000 reported cases of P. vivax malaria in Asia Pacific, with 86%of the burden in the regions 5 high burden countries alone: Pakistan, PNG,Afghanistan, Indonesia and India[1].

The current standard of care for the prevention of P. vivax relapse is by treatmentwith a drug called primaquine which requires a 7- or 14-day course. A shortertreatment (single dose) regime with tafenoquine could support some countries towardsthe region’s 2030 malaria elimination goal.

[1] World HealthOrganization. World Malaria Report 2021 – Annex 51 (2021)