Geographical spread and structural basis of sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine drug-resistant malaria parasites

•DHPS and DHFR are validated drug targets for sulfadoxine (sdx) and pyrimethamine (pyr) in plasmodial species.•Sdx-Pyr (SP) combination medicine is a widely used antimalarial therapy.•The spread of SP resistance is attributed to increasing numbers of mutations in DHPS and DHFR enzymes.•Surveillance of sdx and pyr resistance mutations in P. falciparum and P. vivax is critical.