Editorial: Malaria prophylaxis

In the 1950s and 196Os, malarial chemoprophylaxis was relatively simple. Prophylaxis against Plasmodium falciparum was achieved with a causal prophylactic in the form of an antifol, such as proguanil or pyrimethamine. Plasmodium vivax was prevented by using chloroquine 300 mg weekly. Methods of personal protection such as mosquito nets were thought to be of historical interest. The picture in the 1990s is very different. There is now resistance to chloroquine, the antifols and even mefloquine in some areas. The insect vectors have become resistant to some of the residual insecticide sprays.