EVALUATION OF THERAPEUTIC EFFICACY AND SAFETY OF DIHYDROARTEMISININ-PIPERAQUINE IN UNCOMPLICATED PLASMODIUM FALCIPARUM MONOINFECTION IN TIMOR TENGAH SELATAN DISTRICT, NUSA TENGGARA TIMUR, INDONESIA

Malaria is still a health problem in Nusa Tenggara Timur (NTT), especially in Timor Tengah Selatan (TTS) District, Indonesia. Since 2004, the Ministry of Health of Indonesia has recommended ACTs including dyhidroartemisininpiperaquine (DHP) as an antimalarial in Indonesia and used in NTT since 2011. According to WHO (2010), the policy to replace antimalarial agents in the region is when the failure rate of therapy is more than 10%; however, information on the therapeutic evaluation of DHP is still very sparse. This quasi experimental study aimed to assess the efficacy of DHP as a therapy for uncomplicated falciparum malaria patients at Boking Community Health Center and Noeumuke Community Health Center, TTS District, NTT Province. A total 63 patients were treated with DHP, and clinical and parasitological observations were conducted for 42 days. Up to day 42, 61 patients were in the ACPR classification (adequate clinical and parasitological response), while the remaining two patients experienced failure early in the treatment and were included in the ETF classification (early treatment failure). There was no clinical or parasitological failure of treatment from day 4 until the last day of observation with a successful cumulative incidence of 0.968 with 95% CI of 0.892-0.99. Based on this study, DHP is still recommended as an antimalarial therapy for uncomplicated falciparum malaria in the area of Timor Tengah Selatan District, Nusa Tenggara Timur, Indonesia.