MedTrace Logo

Assessing the Feasibility of Combining Dihydroartemisinin Piperaquine and Primaquine for Malaria Mass Drug Administration in High Endemic Communities in the Eastern Region of Ghana

NCT07389057 · Status: RECRUITING · Phase: NA · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 9000

Last updated 2026-02-05

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

Previous malaria control studies in Ghana have shown that community-wide approaches can substantially reduce malaria infections. In a mass testing, treatment and tracking (MTTT) study, more than 75% of people in target communities were reached, leading to a 24% reduction in asymptomatic malaria after one year. However, rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) can miss very low-level infections, meaning some infected individuals are not treated and can continue to spread malaria.

A pilot malaria mass drug administration (MDA) study using artemether-lumefantrine (AL) in the Eastern Region of Ghana showed a very large reduction (over 95%) in parasite carriage after repeated rounds of treatment. Despite this success, malaria infections later fluctuated, possibly because some parasites remained in mosquitoes and because mature gametocytes-the parasite stage responsible for transmission-are not fully eliminated by standard malaria medicines.

To better interrupt malaria transmission, this study will use MDA with dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine (DHAP) combined with a single low dose of primaquine (PQ), which targets these transmission stages. The intervention will be given to the whole community every two months (six times per year) and compared with the current standard malaria control measures.

The study will examine whether this approach reduces malaria parasite carriage, whether malaria returns after treatment stops, and whether repeated MDA affects malaria drug resistance markers in the population. This two-year implementation research will generate practical evidence to guide national malaria policy in Ghana and inform the potential use of MDA in other malaria-endemic African countries.

Conditions

  • Malaria Asymptomatic Parasitaemia
  • Malaria Falciparum
  • Malaria Infection
  • Malaria Transmission

Interventions

DRUG

DHAP

A full 3-day course of oral DHAP will be based on weight and/or age taken once daily.

DRUG

Single low dose PQ

One dose of PQ on day 3

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • Medical Research Center Unit The Gambia (MRCG)

    collaborator UNKNOWN

  • Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research

    lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

  • Ndong Ignatius Cheng, PhD · Noguchi Memorial institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana

Study Design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Model
PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age
3 Months
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2023-11-01
Primary Completion
2026-11-30
Completion
2026-11-30

Countries

  • Ghana

More Related Trials

Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT07389057 on ClinicalTrials.gov