Treatment of Uncomplicated Malaria among Under-Five Children: A Systematic Review

Most uncomplicated malaria dominated countries have embraced the recommended first-line treatment of uncomplicated malaria. Artemisinin-based combination therapies such as Artemether-Lumefantrine, Artesunate + Amodiaquine and Dihydroartemisinin-Piperaquine have shown to be effective with Artemether-Lumefantrine and considered the most effective and approved by WHO. The study collected and reviewed recent randomized controlled trials for the treatment of uncomplicated malaria under five children. Eligibility criteria for the selected studies were based on the use of tools such as PICO (T) and data extraction tools such as REPOSE guidelines, PRISMA statement and eligibility criteria. This study includes only RCTs on the treatment of uncomplicated malaria under 5 s. Data was analyzed through comparative-narrative analysis. This study found 8 studies. Selected studies had a total of 10,682 participants within the age range of 0 - 59 months with the diagnosis of uncomplicated malaria and an MCP range of 2000 - 200,000 treated with different antimalarial drugs. Artesunate + Amodiaquine and Dihydroartemisinin-Piperaquine and Artemether-Lumefantrine drugs were found to be consistent in the treatment of uncomplicated malaria under 5 s within three days. Findings show that Artemether-Lumefantrine, Artesunate + Amodiaquine and Dihydroartemisinin-Piperaquine were the best drugs of choice due to their fast rate in fever reduction and parasite clearance. The efficacy of Artesunate + Amodiaquine and Dihydroartemisinin-Piperaquine is comparable to Dihydroartemisinin-Piperaquine. The study concludes that Artesunate + Amodiaquine and Dihydroartemisinin-Piperaquine can also be drugs of choice along with the well-known and utilized Artemether-Lumefantrine combination because of the fever reduction and parasite clearance within the first three days duration.