Sulfadoxine- Pyrimethamine Versus Weekly Chloroquine for Malaria Prevention in Children With Sickle Cell Anemia

• Status: Completed
• Trial end date: 2007-02-01
• Target enrollment: 0
• Participant gender: All

Summary

Malaria is fatal and increases the risk of death among children with sickle cell anemia. Chemoprophylaxis significantly improves quality of life in these children. In Uganda Chloroquine is the drug of choice for prophylaxis and yet it's effectiveness is limited due to high levels of resistance throughout the country. Intermittent presumptive treatment with sulfadoxine - Pyrimethamine a new approach to malaria prevention, has shown great potential in reducing incidence of malaria and anaemia among high risk groups such as pregnant women and infants. However no studies have been done in Uganda to determine if presumptive treatment with sulfadoxine- pyrimethamine reduces the incidence of malaria in children with sickle cell anaemia.

Hypothesis : Presumptive treatment with sulfadoxine- Pyrimethamine is better than weekly chloroquine in reducing incidence of malaria in children with sickle cell anaemia.

• Phase: Phase 3
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers?: No

Details

• Lead Sponsor: Makerere University
• Treatments: Chloroquine; Chloroquine diphosphate; Fanasil, pyrimethamine drug combination; Pyrimethamine; Sulfadoxine

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

• Children aged 6 months to 12 years attending sickle cell clinic in Mulago Hospital during the study period with a negative peripheral smear for parasites, adherence to appointment visits, consent by care takers to participate in the study.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patients with known allergy to sulfonamides, Patients with severe illnesses requiring urgent admission, Patients with documented treatment for malaria in the past one month with Sulfadoxine- Pyrimethamine. Patients on cotrimoxazole prophylaxis