Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 17, 2026
08:31
Optimized Griess Reaction for UV-Vis and Naked-eye Determination of Anti-malarial Primaquine
Published on: October 11, 2019
11.1K
Antimalarial mass drug administration: ethical considerations.
Phaik Yeong Cheah1, Nicholas J White2
1Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, 420/6 Rajvithi Rd, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK The Ethox Centre, Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, UK phaikyeong@tropmedres.ac.
International Health
|August 3, 2016
Summary
Mass drug administration (MDA) offers a potential malaria elimination strategy but faces ethical challenges. Its success hinges on high community participation, balancing individual health with public benefit.
Area of Science:
- Global Health
- Tropical Medicine
- Public Health Ethics
Background:
- Falciparum malaria remains a significant cause of mortality and morbidity in tropical regions, disproportionately affecting children.
- Asymptomatic malaria infections are prevalent in endemic communities, complicating disease control efforts.
- Mass drug administration (MDA) is explored as a strategy for malaria elimination in entire populations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the ethical considerations surrounding mass drug administration (MDA) for malaria elimination.
- To analyze the potential benefits and drawbacks of implementing MDA in endemic communities.
- To examine the ethical balance between individual autonomy and public health interests in malaria control.
Main Methods:
- Ethical analysis of MDA implementation based on existing literature and public health principles.
- Evaluation of potential outcomes, including malaria elimination, transient reduction, and potential adverse effects.
- Discussion of ethical dilemmas related to participation, consent, and compulsory treatment.
Main Results:
- MDA's effectiveness is critically dependent on high community participation levels.
- Potential benefits range from complete malaria elimination to temporary prevalence reduction.
- Drawbacks include inconvenience, toxicity, potential drug resistance, loss of confidence, and disease rebound.
Conclusions:
- Implementing MDA for malaria elimination involves complex ethical issues, particularly concerning individual autonomy and public health.
- The success of MDA is contingent upon community engagement and addressing potential risks and benefits.
- Careful consideration of ethical frameworks is crucial for the responsible deployment of MDA strategies.
Related Concept Videos
01:29Therapeutic Drug Monitoring: Affecting Factors
313
Therapeutic Drug Monitoring (TDM) is the clinical practice of measuring specific drug levels in a patient's blood or body tissues to manage and optimize therapy. TDM is crucial for drugs with narrow therapeutic windows, like warfarin and phenytoin, where incorrect doses can lead to treatment failure or severe side effects. This monitoring ensures the dosage administered is within a safe and effective range. The factors affecting therapeutic drug monitoring include:Patient-Specific Factors:a.
313
01:26Pharmaceutical Poisoning: Potential Scenarios
54
Pharmaceutical poisoning can occur through various channels, impacting an estimated 2 million hospitalized patients in the U.S. annually with serious adverse drug responses. These scenarios encompass both therapeutic uses, such as drug toxicity, where even standard dosages can lead to severe central nervous system depression, and non-therapeutic exposures, including accidental ingestion by children, and environmental and occupational exposures.Unintentional poisonings often involve exploratory...
54
01:25Determination of Multiple Dosing Parameters: Loading and Maintenance Doses
336
A loading dose is an essential pharmacological strategy to rapidly achieve the target plasma drug concentration necessary for an immediate therapeutic effect. This approach is especially critical for drugs characterized by slow absorption or extended half-lives, where delaying therapeutic plasma levels could compromise treatment outcomes. By administering a loading dose, clinicians ensure a prompt onset of drug action, even for agents with complex pharmacokinetic profiles.Achieving steady-state...
336
01:16Therapeutic Drug Monitoring: Overview and Classification
487
Therapeutic Drug Monitoring (TDM) is a clinical practice that measures specific drug levels in a patient's blood at designated intervals to ensure the drug concentration stays within a therapeutic range. This monitoring is crucial for optimizing individual dosage regimens, enhancing therapeutic efficacy, and minimizing drug-related toxicity. TDM is vital for drugs with narrow therapeutic windows, significant variability in pharmacokinetics, and a clear correlation between plasma levels and...
487
01:26Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Excretion
354
In pediatric medicine, understanding the renal function and drug elimination nuances is crucial for administering safe and effective treatments. Newborns, in particular, display markedly slower renal functions than adults, profoundly affecting how drugs are cleared from their bodies. This slower drug clearance requires clinicians to extend the dosing intervals for many medications to prevent drug accumulation and toxicity while ensuring therapeutic efficacy.One key area where these adjustments...
354
01:21Factors Affecting Drug Response: Overview
3.2K
When it comes to infants and young children, they are typically administered smaller doses of medication in comparison to adults. This is primarily because their organ functions still need to fully develop, meaning their bodies are not as efficient at metabolizing or eliminating drugs. Additionally, their blood-brain barrier is more permeable than in adults. As a result, high concentrations of drugs can easily penetrate the central nervous system (CNS), potentially leading to neurological...
3.2K