[Historical overview of antimalarials used in Venezuela]

Area of Science:

• Tropical Medicine
• Pharmacology
• Infectious Diseases

Context:

• Venezuela's malaria control history spans centuries, from traditional remedies to mass drug distribution.
• The evolution of antimalarial drug use in Venezuela reflects changing parasite resistance patterns.

Purpose:

• To provide a historical overview of antimalarial agents utilized in Venezuela.
• To evaluate the efficacy of various antimalarials against sensitive and resistant Plasmodium falciparum strains.
• To explore future therapeutic avenues, including artemisinine derivatives and vaccines.

Summary:

• The review traces antimalarial use in Venezuela from quina bark to quinine and mefloquine distribution.
• It details the effectiveness of chloroquine, primaquine, sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine, and quinine against different parasite sensitivities.
• Artemisinin derivatives are proposed as promising future treatments, alongside a new vaccine for Plasmodium falciparum blood-stage malaria.

Impact:

• Informs current malaria treatment strategies in Venezuela by reviewing historical drug efficacy.
• Highlights the need for adaptive malaria control programs that incorporate new drugs and vaccines.
• Contributes to the understanding of antimalarial drug resistance and management in endemic regions.