There are about 34 clinical studies being (or have been) conducted in Papua New Guinea. The country of the clinical trial is determined by the location of where the clinical research is being studied. Most studies are often held in multiple locations & countries.
The purpose of this study was to assess the safety and efficacy of Cotrifazid to treat uncomplicated resistant malaria and to compare the outcome with mefloquine or quinine+sulfadoxine/pyrimethamine (SP)
In malaria-endemic areas, young children have an especially high risk of malaria morbidity and mortality. Malaria is estimated to cause up to 2 million deaths and 500 million clinical episodes in Africa alone. The bulk of disease in Africa and severe disease and deaths globally is due to P. falciparum. However, P. vivax is also responsible for a substantial disease burden in endemic regions outside Africa, where P. vivax may account for more than half of all malaria cases. Efforts to reduce this unacceptably high disease burden are hampered by the limited availability of affordable interventions. Following the cessation of large-scale vector control in highly endemic areas, malaria control efforts have centred on early diagnosis and treatment of clinical cases and reducing exposure through the use of insecticide-treated nets (ITNs). While ITNs have been shown to significantly reduce the burden of malaria additional effective interventions are urgently needed. Several trials have shown that chemoprophylaxis given to children at weekly or fortnightly intervals reduces morbidity from malaria in a number of different settings and populations. An alternative approach has been to use intermittent preventive therapy (IPT) involving the administration of a full therapeutic dose of antimalarials at regular intervals. This is logistically easier to deliver, and is less costly, and may reduce problems of promoting drug resistance associated with regular chemoprophylaxis. Intermittent administration of sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP) during antenatal clinic visits was shown to be highly effective in reducing malaria and anaemia in pregnant women and improving infant birth weights. IPT in pregnancy (IPTp) is now recommended by WHO for endemic regions of Africa.
The National Health Plan 2001-2010 calls for investigation of the feasibility of pneumococcal vaccines for Papau New Guinea. The Papua New Guinea (PNG) Institute of Medical Research, the Telethon Institute for Child Health Research and the Department of Paediatrics, University of Western Australia will collaborate to examine very closely the safety of neonatal vaccination, particularly with regard to impact on the development of immunity and response to other vaccines given to infants. This study will also provide a unique opportunity for training of PNG and Australian scientists in both countries.
The purpose of this study is to learn more about vivax malaria in very young children, how the growth of children is affected by malaria infections, and how inherited traits protect children from getting malaria. Participants will be 266 children 24 months of age or younger who live in certain villages in East Sepik Province, Papua New Guinea, where malaria is very common. The study also will find out how malaria spreads in the area. By learning how and when a child develops resistance to vivax malaria, researchers can try to find ways to help people from getting it. And, they can get a better understanding of how inherited traits influence all types of malaria infections. In this study, the parent and child will be visited by the study team or health workers every week to check health and bednet use. Every 2 weeks, the study team will take a small blood sample to check for malaria and take measurements to study the child's growth. Participants will be followed for up to 2 years.