CLASSIFICATION OF CLINICAL FALCIPARUM-MALARIA AND ITS USE FOR THE EVALUATION OF CHEMOSUPPRESSION IN CHILDREN UNDER 6 YEARS OF AGE IN LIBERIA, WEST-AFRICA

The possible role of malaria as cause of morbidity was assessed during one year in 262 children aged 6 months to 6 years living in two villa ges in a rural area of Liberia. The study population was followed by w eekly clinics and three-monthly surveys and the children were randomly allocated to receive either chloroquine or placebo every 3 weeks. The morbidity of the children was evaluated by criteria based on the hist ory and the clinical condition into four different stages, in order to describe the probability that an observed clinical event could be att ributed to malaria infection, based on the presence of detectable para sites in the blood, the history the previous week, and the clinical st atus of the child. The level of anaemia, splenomegaly and measured bod y temperature supported that malaria was the major contributor to the overall morbidity observed. Based on the stage classification of clini cal illness, children were classified as having 'possible clinical mal aria' or 'probable clinical malaria'. Malaria appeared to be an import ant cause of febrile episodes during both dry and rainy seasons. Durin g the rainy season more than 60% of the children experienced at least one clinical malaria episode, and during the dry season more than 50% of the children experienced at least one clinical attack of malaria. C hildren receiving chemosuppression had overall fewer clinical malaria attacks, and the effect of the chemosuppression was most pronounced in the dry season, the odds ratio comparing children receiving regular c hemosuppression with children receiving presumptive treatment only was estimated to 0.39 (0.25-0.62).