Drug resistant malaria

Abstract

Antimicrobial drug resistance is the ability of microorganism to resist against antimicrobial agent to which it was susceptible previously. Today, resistance against antimalarial drugs which are specific antimicrobial drugs against malaria is one of the biggest challenges faced by the malaria control efforts. Drug resistance is held responsible for the malaria spreading to new areas and re-emerging at the eliminated areas. Although there is no drug resistant malaria case was reported in Turkey up to day, -considering the high number of malaria cases imported from malaria prevalent countries- it is probable that some of those imported cases could be drug resistant cases. Considering the drug resistant malaria, chemoprophylaxis alone may not be sufficient for protection against malaria for those who travel to malaria prevalent areas; and prevention of vector contact should be emphasized. Drug resistant malaria should be included in the National Drug Resistance Surveillance System. Solving the resistance problem with new drugs increases cost of treatment, and resistance to these new drugs seems inevitable, sooner or later. Particularly, single use of a new antimalarial drug accelerates this process. While the world of medicine is about to enter an era without antibiotics, new challenges arise in malaria control efforts.