A Review on Chemistry of Anti-malarials

Abstract

Malaria remains an important public health concern in countries where transmission occurs regularly, as well as in temperate areas and it is a major global health problem, with an estimated 500 million clinical cases occurring annually. Malaria is a complex disease that varies widely in epidemiology and clinical manifestation in different parts of the world. The most prevalent and dangerous type of malaria is caused by Plasmodium falciparum. P. vivax is a common cause of malaria in Latin America, Asia, and Oceania, but not Africa. P. malaria and P. ovale are much less common. Antimalarials are used in three different ways: prophylaxis, treatment of falciparum malaria, and treatment of non-falciparum malaria. Prophylactic antimalarials are used almost exclusively by travelers from developed countries who are visiting malaria-endemic countries. Keywords: Malaria, antimalarial drugs, plasmodium.