G6PD

Over the past decade, malaria incidence has steadily declined in various parts of the worlds. The resilience of P. vivax relative to P. falciparum against malaria controls can be attributed, at least partially, to the parasite’s ability to remain dormant as hypnozoites in the host’s liver. Primaquine is an effective drug to treat hypnozoite and has been included in the anti-malarial drug regimen in most of the countries. Primaquine, and other 8-aminoquinolone drugs, can induce severe hemolysis in malaria patients who deficient in glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) enzyme activity. Female heterozygous G6PD deficiency is always missed by qualitative G6PD testing. Providing the primaquine to heterozygous G6PD malaria infected individual can potentially causing significant morbidity and diminish the impact of this drug. Studying G6PD deficiency especially in female heterozygous in the context of anti-malarial therapy and malaria elimination will support safe use of 8-aminoquinoline drugs for radical cure that will enable access to effective, life-saving therapy.