Assessment of Body Mass (Weight Loss/Gain) in a 14 Day Clinical and Parasitological Responses to Supervised Antimalarial Drug Combination Therapies in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State

Malaria has considerable potential for adversely influencing host nutrition. It can restrict food intake through anorexia while causing vomiting or diarrhea, it may interfere with the absorption of ingested food. This survey was however conducted to ascertain the impact of the Plasmodium falciparum malaria attack on the weight potentials of the sufferers treated with Diaminopyrimidines (Pyrimethamine) and Sulphonamides (Sulfadoxine) Out of 243 patients studied in Abakaliki, the age groups 10-19 (48.6%), 20-29 (30.0%), 30-39 (12.8%), 40-49 (5.8%), and 50-59 (2.9%) showed average weight loss/gain of ± 1.4, ±0.3, ± 0.6, and± 0.2 respectively for both males, and females. The corresponding weight loss/gain between D0-D7 showed 10 ≤ 20: D0-D2 (-0.1), D2-D7 (+0.7), 21≤ 30: D0-D2 (- 0.3), D2-D7 (+ 0.2); 31 ≤ 40: D0-D2 (0.0), D2-D7 (+0.2);41 ≤ 50: D0-D2 (- 0.1), D2-D7 (- 0.1),51≤ 60: D0-D2 (0.0), D2-D7 (+ 0.2).The result of increased catabolism of proteins and associated weight loss in severe malaria attack should be regained by nutritional sufficiency.