Impact of seasonal malaria chemoprevention on antimalarial drug resistance and the emergence of non-falciparum species in Karamoja subregion, Uganda

Authors: Richard Kajubi, Stephen Tukwasibwe, Anthony Nuwa, Isaac Ssewanya, Maureen Nakirunda, Sam L Nsobya, Moses Kiggundu, Kenneth Musinguzi, Katairo Thomas, Jimmy Opigo, James K Tibenderana, Jane Achan

Seasonal malaria chemoprevention is effective against Plasmodium falciparum but shifting malaria species patterns and emerging resistance markers demand vigilant monitoring to sustain progress in malaria control.

Seasonal malaria chemoprevention (SMC) using sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine and amodiaquine (SPAQ) has significantly reduced malaria incidence in the Sahel and parts of eastern and southern Africa. However, its long-term influence on antimalarial drug resistance and shifts in Plasmodium species composition remains poorly characterised. In Uganda’s Karamoja subregion, where SMC has been implemented for several transmission seasons, we examined the potential emergence of non-falciparum species and the prevalence of molecular markers of resistance. 

This poster was presented at the 2025 Annual Meeting of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, held on 9-13 November in Toronto, Canada.