Single dose Primaquine as a gametocytocide in Plasmodium falciparum malaria

Policy brief on single-dose primaquine as a gametocytocide in Plasmodium falciparum malaria

Use of primaquine as a gametocytocide has great potential for reducing the transmission of falciparum malaria in low-transmission settings. The latest review of evidence on the safety and effectiveness of primaquine as a gametocytocide for P. falciparum malaria indicates that a single dose of primaquine at 0.25 mg base/kg is both effective in blocking transmission and unlikely to cause serious toxicity in individuals with any of the G6PD-deficiency variants.

This policy brief outlines the new WHO recommendations along with their evidence base, the expected benefits as well as considerations for their programmatic implementation.