Transmission control and drug resistance in malaria: A crucial interaction

Drug resistance is a major problem affecting progress on malaria control, w hile many current programmes are seeking to introduce impregnated bednets t o reduce transmission and hence child mortality and morbidity. David Molyne ux, Katherine Floyd, Guy Barnish and Eric Fevre propose that more considera tion should be given to the interaction between transmission control and th e development of drug resistance, and that vector control as a means of red ucing disease transmission is involved in reducing the rate of development, and the level, of resistance. Therefore, investment in vector control can have important benefits in reducing the future expenditure on drugs (as wel l as other costs, such as hospitalization, management of resistant cases an d severe disease, drug development and household expenditure on malaria che motherapy). Modelling the many parameters that impact on this complex relat ionship will better inform policy makers.