Anti-Malarials are drugs that have been designed or found to be effective in combating the Plasmodium parasites that cause Malaria.

Quinine was the first effective anti-malarial and was produced from the bark of the Cinchona tree which was originally found in Peruvian rain forests in the 17^th century. It remained the anti-malarial drug of choice for Plasmodium Falciparum (Pf  Malaria) until the 1940s, when other drugs began to be developed. Although Quinine is still in use for treating malaria, advancements in the development of synthetic drugs meant that a new generation of anti-malarial drugs could be developed specifically to treat Falciparum Malaria which is the cause of 90% of Malaria deaths. One of this new generation of anti-malarials was known as Chloroquine.

Today Chloroquine is widely used. It is is cheap to manufacture and cheap to buy. It is considered the best tested and safest of all available drugs. However, since 1957 Chloroquine's effectiveness has been called into question after it was discovered that some  Plasmodium parasites had developed resistance to it.

Today, the emergence of drug resistant parasite strains is rapidly decreasing the effectiveness of Chloroquine, however, it is still one of the first line drugs of choice in many countries. Major problems with parasite resistance to Chloroquine have occured in Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia and other parts of South East Asia. Now it is suggested that in resistant areas Chloroquine should be used in combination with other anti-malarial drugs to extend its effective usage.

Several sub Saharan countries have also reported high failure rates for Chloroquine when it is used to treat Pf malaria.

Chloroquine is not the only anti-malarial whose effectiveness has reduced by parasite resistance; other drugs such as Fanisdar, Primaquine and Larium (Mefloquine) have also had their effectiveness undermined by Pf Malaria parasite resistance. Some resistance has also been reported for Plasmodium Vivax as well.

The development of parasite resistance to anti-malarial medication reinforces the need not only for the development of new anti-malarial drugs; but also under scores the need to get the more effective drugs into poorer clinics who for lack of funding cannot afford the more expensive medications. Often drugs that have shown increased parasite resistance are the only ones available to these clinics and their certainty of treating Pf malaria is only hit or miss! .

Recently hope of a new line of anti-malarials has come from China. The Artesiminins are a group of anti-malarials that are derived from the plant Artemesia Annua and have been manufactured in China since 1970. The plant has been used as a Malaria treatment in Chinese medicine since 34-AD.

One synthetic form of the drug that is currently on the market is Artesunate. Artesunate is widely available in Asia but is not used as widely as it could be as fake Artesunate tablets have been dumped into the markets of SE Asia by unscrupulous operators who are killing thousands by selling fake medicine. Some field workers will not use Artesunate unless they can confirm its authenticity.

People travelling into Malaria endemic areas should seek medical advice as to the kind of anti-malarial medication they should take. Local doctors should have access to information regarding what anti-malarials are effective in certain areas owing to parasite resistance issues; and what side effects certain anti-malarials are likely to have - this could be very important in pregnancy or in cases where patients are taking certain medications. 

In order to beat Malaria we need not only see effective safe drugs developed but we also need to make sure that clinics have access to these effective and safe medications. Buzz Off is providing funding for small clinics to have access to better anti-malarial medication. Your donation to this program will help us to save lives.