Severe Malaria in Africa: a research and trials consortium (SMAART) – Mozambique

Despite the introduction of control measures as the malaria vaccine in some areas of Africa, or increased bed net use, severe malaria is still causing child deaths and hospitalisations. Severe malaria is a medical emergency and affects primarily young children in Africa, who usually come to hospital very sick and need urgent care. Even on the best anti-malarial treatments many African children with severe malaria have poor outcomes including deaths and sequelae which tend to occur on the first days of arrival to hospital. The World Health Organisation has developed guidelines for treatment of severe malaria but much of the information used to develop the recommendations on adjunctive therapy are based on expert opinion and not data from clinical trials and studies which are a better source of evidence.for severe anemia.

The three domains of the clinical trial aim to study:
1) Severe anemia domain: compare the outcome of anemia in children that receive blood transfusion with whole blood compared to red cell concentrate;
2) Renal function domain: compare high-doses of paracetamol versus standard of care in children with altered kidney function in order to reduce kidney disfunction; and
3) Cerebral malaria domain: giving intravenous levetiracetam (anticonvulsant with few adverse effects) as prophylaxis to prevent further seizures compared to standard of care in order to prevent development of neurological sequelae.

Diagnostics
Vulnerable Populations

Jun 2021 — Jun 2026

Mozambique

Severe Malaria Africa – A consortium for Research and Trials (SMAART)