The Lancet
Dec 18, 2010  Volume 376  Number 9758  Pages 2041 – 2116
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/issue/current

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Artemisinin resistance—the clock is ticking
Nicholas J White

Preview
Artemisinin resistance in falciparum malaria has emerged in western Cambodia.1 Chloroquine resistance arose in exactly the same place 50 years ago, spread to Africa, and killed millions of children.2–4 Resistance to sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (the antimalarial combination that followed chloroquine) in Africa can be traced to the same origin. The parallels are chilling. If artemisinin resistance spreads widely, it will derail current initiatives to control and eliminate malaria. The consequences will be disastrous.