Antimalarial drug toxicity: an updated brief review

Malaria, a serious infectious disease, continues to be a major health issue and a barrier to economic progress in many nations, particularly in tropical and subtropical areas. Apart from vector control and prevention strategies, at present, the creation of innovative antimalarial medications for prophylaxis or chemotherapy is the most promising approach to reducing malaria infection. Nevertheless, a number of antimalarial drugs have shown tolerability, safety and adequate therapeutic results for clinical management of malaria infection. Clinicians in different climatic regions, both temperate and tropical zones, may have different experiences towards malaria infection. In sub-tropics and tropics, clinicians are usually familiar with malaria and their main focus is on the effective treatment of malaria. However, malaria may be an uncommon disease in temperate zones. As a result, clinicians, therefore, will usually focus on prevention of malaria rather than treatment. Before prescribing a treatment regimen, a risk-benefit analysis must take into account the toxicity of antimalarial medications. A different outcome might occur in patients who are particularly susceptible, such as very young children, expectant or nursing mothers, or patients with clinically significant concomitant illnesses. At present, when the risk-benefit ratios of antimalarial drugs are still often controversial and imprecise, particularly among special risk groups. This review provides is an updated brief overview of the toxicity and adverse effects of current antimalarial drugs available in various parts of the world for both treatment and prevention.