CHLOROQUINE-RESISTANT PLASMODIUM-FALCIPARUM AMONG CHILDREN IN CALABAR, SOUTH EASTERN NIGERIA

Sixty-nine children aged between 6 and 60 months with parasitologicall y proven Plasmodium falciparum malaria were treated with chloroquine ( 2.5 mg/kg) in the Children's Emergency Room of the University of Calab ar Teaching Hospital (UCTH) in 1993, Thirty subjects (mean age 27.8 mo nths) and 39 (mean age 29.5 months) received chloroquine phosphate sup pository (Pharma Deko) and chloroquine sulphate syrup (May gi Baker), respectively. The World Health Organization (WHO) 14-day in vivo field test was used in evaluating the response to treatment. In both treatm ent groups the responses were similar. Overall, parasitological cure o ccurred in 24 subjects (34.8%) and in the remaining 45 subjects (65.2% ) treatment failed (chloroquine resistance). This level of chloroquine resistant Plasmodium falciparum (CRPF) is higher than 53.6% reported in this centre in 1989. Furthermore, in the present study the proporti on of RII (46.4%) is significantly higher than 21.4% (P < 0.02) obtain ed in 1989, Our findings show a worsening of CRPF in Calabar with RII being the main contributor. This observation indicates the need for co ntinued surveillance of the response of P. falciparum to chloroquine a nd alternative antimalarials as a means of evolving an effective treat ment policy for malaria.