Efficacies of DHA–PPQ and AS/SP in patients with uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria in an area of an unstable seasonal transmission in Sudan

BACKGROUND: Artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT), together with other control measures, have reduced the burden of falciparum malaria in sub-Saharan countries, including Sudan. Sudan adopted ACT in 2004 with a remarkable reduction in mortality due to falciparum malaria. However, emergence of resistance to the first-line treatment artesunate and sulfadoxine/pyrimethamine (AS/SP) has created new challenges to the control of malaria in Sudan. A search for an alternative drug of choice for treating uncomplicated malaria has become inevitable. The objective of this study was to evaluate the therapeutic efficacies of dihydroartemisinin/piperaquine (DHA–PPQ) and AS/SP in an area of unstable transmission in Blue Nile State, Sudan in 2015–16. METHODS: A total of 148 patients with uncomplicated malaria were recruited in the study from November 2015 to end of January 2016. Seventy-five patients received DHA–PPQ while 73 received AS/SP. Patients were monitored for clinical and parasitological outcomes following the standard WHO protocol for a period of 42 days for DHA–PPQ and 28 days for AS/SP; nested PCR (nPCR) was performed to confirm parasite re-appearance from day 7 onwards. RESULTS: Fifty-five patients completed the DHA–PPQ arm protocol with success cure rate of 98.2% (95% CI 90.3–100%) and one late clinical failure 1.8% (95% CI 0.0–9.7%). The AS/SP showed adequate clinical and parasitological response (ACPR) of 83.6% (95% CI 71.9–91.8%), early treatment failure was 1.6% (95% CI 0.0–8.8%) and late parasitological failure (LPF) was 14.8% (95% CI 7–26.2%). The respective PCR uncorrected LPF was 20%. CONCLUSION: DHA–PPQ is an efficacious ACT and candidate for replacement of first-line treatment in Sudan while AS/SP showed high treatment failure rate and must be replaced. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12936-017-1817-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.