Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41094456›Full record

ArticleMalaria journal2025

Efficacy of artesunate-amodiaquine for the treatment of uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria among children aged 2-11 years in the Asante Akim North Municipality, Ghana: a single-arm open trial.

Henry Hanson, Kwadwo Sarfo Marfo, James Osei-Mensa, Anna Jaeger, Nimako Sarpong, Diana Nunana Tsali, Alfred Martey, Appiah Kubi Gyimah, Esther Placca, Morrah Oppong and 5 more

Abstract read
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Article in Malaria journal, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

15 authors.

Henry HansonKumasi Centre for Collaborative Research in Tropical Medicine (KCCR), Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi, Ghana.
Kwadwo Sarfo MarfoKumasi Centre for Collaborative Research in Tropical Medicine (KCCR), Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi, Ghana.
James Osei-MensaKumasi Centre for Collaborative Research in Tropical Medicine (KCCR), Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi, Ghana.
Anna JaegerDepartment of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine (BNITM), Hamburg, Germany.
Nimako SarpongKumasi Centre for Collaborative Research in Tropical Medicine (KCCR), Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi, Ghana.
Diana Nunana TsaliKumasi Centre for Collaborative Research in Tropical Medicine (KCCR), Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi, Ghana.
Alfred MarteyKumasi Centre for Collaborative Research in Tropical Medicine (KCCR), Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi, Ghana.
Appiah Kubi GyimahKumasi Centre for Collaborative Research in Tropical Medicine (KCCR), Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi, Ghana.
Esther PlaccaKumasi Centre for Collaborative Research in Tropical Medicine (KCCR), Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi, Ghana.
Morrah OppongKumasi Centre for Collaborative Research in Tropical Medicine (KCCR), Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi, Ghana.
Geoffrey FoliKumasi Centre for Collaborative Research in Tropical Medicine (KCCR), Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi, Ghana.
Nana Safi AlmoustaphaKumasi Centre for Collaborative Research in Tropical Medicine (KCCR), Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi, Ghana.
John AmuasiKumasi Centre for Collaborative Research in Tropical Medicine (KCCR), Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi, Ghana.
Jürgen MayDepartment of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine (BNITM), Hamburg, Germany.
Oumou Maïga AscofaréKumasi Centre for Collaborative Research in Tropical Medicine (KCCR), Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi, Ghana. maiga@kccr.de.

Funding

DELGEME 107740/40/Z/15/ZEDCTP2 RIA2017MC-2022
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe burden of malaria in Ghana is significantly high. The emergence of resistance to artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT), the primary treatment for malaria, necessitates constant surveillance. In this study the efficacy of artesunate-amodiaquine (AS-AQ), a first-line treatment for uncomplicated malaria in Ghana since 2005, and the prevalence of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in resistance markers associated with this antimalarial drug were assessed.

methodsThis prospective single-arm trial was conducted between July 2018 and June 2019 at two health facilities. A total of 173 children aged 2-11 years who presented with fever or a history of fever and tested positive by rapid diagnostic test (RDT) were recruited for the study. The participants were prescribed AS-AQ based on their body weight. The study followed the 2009 World Health Organization (WHO) protocol for monitoring antimalarial drug efficacy, with adequate clinical and parasitological response (ACPR) assessed on day 28. A total of 155 samples were successfully analysed for mutations in the pfk13, pfcrt, and pfmdr1 genes.

resultsA total of 164 participants completed the three-day treatment regimen while adhering to the study protocol. During directly observed treatment, 8.1% of participants experienced vomiting after at least one dose. By day 3, all treated participants achieved total parasite clearance. Thirteen (7.9%) participants were either lost to follow-up, non-compliant or withdrew voluntarily. The ACPR on day 28 was 92.07% and 100% by the modified intention to treat and Kaplan-Meier methods, respectively. No treatment, clinical or parasitological failure was observed during the 28-day follow-up period. Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) analysis did not detect any pfk13 gene mutations linked to artemisinin resistance. The pfmdr1 NFD haplotype (86 + 184 + 1246) was identified in 27.1% of isolates, while the pfcrt K76T mutation was found in 1.9% of the isolates.

conclusionsThe study confirmed that artesunate (AS) combined with amodiaquine (AQ) remains an effective treatment for uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria in children aged 2-11 years in Ghana. Additionally, a high prevalence of a haplotype associated with reinfection following artemether-lumefantrine treatment, one of Ghana's first-line antimalarial therapies, was observed.

Indexed as

AmodiaquineAntimalarialsArtemisininsMalaria, FalciparumPlasmodium falciparumChildChild, PreschoolDrug CombinationsDrug ResistanceFemaleGhanaHumansMalePolymorphism, Single NucleotideProspective StudiesTreatment OutcomeAmodiaquineamodiaquine, artesunate drug combinationAntimalarialsArtemisininsDrug CombinationsArtemisinin-based combination therapyArtesunate-AmodiaquineChildrenDrug resistance markersGhanaMalariaPlasmodium falciparumTherapeutic efficacy study

Identifiers

PMID41094456
PMCPMC12522964

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