Analytical dilemmas in assessing efficacy of radical cure of vivax malaria

Abstract

The radical cure for Plasmodium vivax malaria involves administration of blood schizontocidal drug(s) against the acute attack and a hypnozoitocidal drug for the prevention of relapse due to latent hepatic stages of the parasite.1 There are many options for the former but just two for the latter: primaquine given daily for 7 or 14 days; or a single dose of tafenoquine. Currently the malaria control programme in India recommends 14 days of daily primaquine for radical cure of P. vivax.