Therapeutic efficacy of chloroquine plus primaquine in the treatment of uncomplicated P.vivax in Shecha Health Center, South Ethiopia

Background Malaria is one of vector-borne diseases caused by plasmodium species. Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax have a higher prevalence in Ethiopia. To combat this illness, effective therapy is necessary. Chloroquine plus radical cure with 14 days primaquine is a first-line antimalarial treatment for P.vivax . However, malaria treatment in Ethiopia is significantly impeded by resistance. The purpose of this study was to determine the therapeutic efficacy of chloroquine with radical cure with 14 days of primaquine in the treatment of uncomplicated P. vivax in Shecha Health Center, South Ethiopia. Methods A single-arm, prospective therapeutic efficacy trial was conducted from December 2022 to March 2023 at Shecha Health Center in south Ethiopia. The study subjects were chosen using the purposive sampling technique. The study patients were given a 25 mg/kg standard dosage of chloroquine for three days and a 0.25 mg/kg standard dose of Primaquine for fourteen days. The World Health Organization double-entry Excel sheet was utilized for Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, and the laboratory and clinical data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences version-26 software. P -values less than 0.05 were considered statistically significant. The study endpoint was adequate clinical and parasitological response on day 42. Results Out of the 100 study participants, 90 (90.0%) completed the 42-day follow-up period. Male research participants make 57 (57%) of the total. Adults made up the majority of the study subjects 60 (60.0%). The adequate clinical and parasitological response rate was 96.7% (95% CI: 90.1–98.9%). On day three, parasitemia was cleared at 80 (82.5%) and fever at 95 (97.9%). There were no serious adverse reactions reported. Conclusion Chloroquine plus primaquine is still an effective drug therapy for uncomplicated P.vivax, with rapid clearance of parasitemia, fever, improvement of hemoglobin, and clinical resolution. Therefore, chloroquine plus primaquine should continue as a first-line drug to treat uncomplicated P.vivax malaria in the study area.