Mass drug administration for the acceleration of malaria elimination in a region of Myanmar with artemisinin-resistant falciparum malaria: a cluster-randomised trial

To contain multidrug-resistant Plasmodium falciparum, malaria elimination in the Greater Mekong subregion needs to be accelerated while current antimalarials remain effective. We evaluated the safety, effectiveness, and potential resistance selection of dihydroartemisinin–piperaquine mass drug administration (MDA) in a region with artemisinin resistance in Myanmar.

In this low-transmission setting, the substantial reduction in P falciparum prevalence resulting from support of community case management was accelerated by MDA. In addition to supporting community health worker case management and long-lasting insecticidal bed-net distribution, malaria elimination programmes should consider using MDA to reduce P falciparum prevalence rapidly in foci of higher transmission.