[Beneficial effect of using ACT for treatment of uncomplicated falciparum malaria on prevention of severe malarial anemia in children].

Severe malaria is a major cause of child morbidity and mortality in Sub-Saharan Africa. A frequent major complication of malarial infection is anemia. The WHO lists severe anemia as one of the 15 criteria for diagnosis of complicated malaria. Proper treatment of uncomplicated falciparum malaria is included among the strategies for preventing severe forms of malaria. Since 2000 it has been recommended that treatment of uncomplicated falciparum malaria be conducted with artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) as a way of protecting against emergence of Plasmodium resistance to artemisinin. Based on the etiopathogenic factors involved in development of anemia in children living in tropical regions and on the features of the different compounds used in ACT, the author of this study demonstrates the beneficial effect of these treatments on prevention of complicated forms of malaria in general and of malarial anemia in particular.