Safety of single low dose primaquine in Senegal

Objectives

The use of primaquine, an 8-aminoquinoline, can contribute to interrupt transmission, as this drug can reduce gametocyte carriage of Plasmodium falciparum. WHO recommends the addition of a single low-dose of primaquine (0.25 mg base/kg) to artemisinin combination treatments (ACTs) as a gametocytocidal medicine for P. falciparum, particularly as a component of pre-elimination or elimination programs. However, primaquine has been scarcely used in Africa and there are still concerns about its safety as the drug can cause acute haemolytic anaemia in individuals with G6PD deficiency. Safety studies are thus needed in African countries to guide the implementation of low-dose primaquine. The aim of this study is to assess the safety and the potential benefit of adding primaquine to ACT treatment in Senegal.