Malaria control and chemoprophylaxis policy in the Republic of Korea Armed Forces for the previous 20 years (1997–2016)
Abstract Background Vivax malaria reemerged along the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), Republic of Korea (ROK), in 1993. While it was hypothesized that vivax malaria would spread throughout the peninsula, nearly all cases were due to exposure near the DMZ. To reduce spillover of vivax malaria to the civili...
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doaj-114ae2049e714e19afe8ecdfea7c9f142020-11-24T21:24:40ZengBMCMalaria Journal1475-28752018-08-011711910.1186/s12936-018-2449-4Malaria control and chemoprophylaxis policy in the Republic of Korea Armed Forces for the previous 20 years (1997–2016)Jae Hyoung Im0Kyungmin Huh1Chang-Gyo Yoon2Hyeongtaek Woo3Jin-Soo Lee4Moon-Hyun Chung5Terry A. Klein6Jaehun Jung7Department of Internal Medicine, Armed Forces Daejeon HospitalDivision of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of MedicineDepartment of Preventive Medicine, Armed Force Medical CommandDepartment of Preventive Medicine, Armed Force Medical CommandDepartment of Infectious Diseases, INHA University HospitalDepartment of Internal Medicine, Jeju University HospitalForce Health Protection & Preventive Medicine, Medical Activity-Korea/65th Medical BrigadeDepartment of Preventive Medicine, Armed Force Medical CommandAbstract Background Vivax malaria reemerged along the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), Republic of Korea (ROK), in 1993. While it was hypothesized that vivax malaria would spread throughout the peninsula, nearly all cases were due to exposure near the DMZ. To reduce spillover of vivax malaria to the civilian community, the ROK Ministry of National Defense (MND) initiated malaria prevention policies including a large-scale chemoprophylaxis programme in malaria high-risk areas in 1997. The present study investigated the overall changes in the incidence of malaria among ROK soldiers and the mass chemoprophylaxis program from 1997 to 2016. Results Peak numbers of vivax malaria were reported in 2000, with most cases reported near the DMZ, before declining to the current levels. To combat the rapid increase in the number of malaria cases and its expansion throughout the ROK, the MND implemented mosquito control and personal protection programmes. The MND also implemented a large-scale vivax malaria chemoprophylaxis programme using hydroxychloroquine (400 mg weekly) in 1997, and primaquine (15 mg × 14 days) as terminal chemoprophylaxis in 2001. Additionally, an improved medical system enabled the rapid detection and treatment of malaria to reduce morbidity and decrease transmission of malaria from humans to mosquitoes. Following the full implementation of these programmes, the incidence of vivax malaria declined in both ROK Armed Forces and civilian populations. Subsequently, several changes in the ROK Armed Forces chemoprophylaxis programme were implemented, including the reduction of the period of hydroxychloroquine prophylaxis by 2 months (2008) and other changes in the chemoprophylaxis policy, e.g., only ROK Armed Forces personnel in moderate risk groups received terminal primaquine chemoprophylaxis (2011), and in 2016, the discontinuation of terminal primaquine chemoprophylaxis in moderate-risk area. Conclusions The resurgence of vivax malaria in the ROK Armed Forces personnel near the DMZ was successfully suppressed through the implementation of a mass malaria chemoprophylaxis programme initiated by the MND in 1997, as well as several other factors that may have contributed to the reduction of malaria transmission since 2000. Given the current malaria situation in the ROK and North Korea, it is necessary to reevaluate the ROK Armed Forces and civilian malaria control policies.http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12936-018-2449-4ChemoprophylaxisHydroxychloroquineMalariaMilitaryPlasmodium vivaxPrimaquine |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Jae Hyoung Im Kyungmin Huh Chang-Gyo Yoon Hyeongtaek Woo Jin-Soo Lee Moon-Hyun Chung Terry A. Klein Jaehun Jung |
spellingShingle |
Jae Hyoung Im Kyungmin Huh Chang-Gyo Yoon Hyeongtaek Woo Jin-Soo Lee Moon-Hyun Chung Terry A. Klein Jaehun Jung Malaria control and chemoprophylaxis policy in the Republic of Korea Armed Forces for the previous 20 years (1997–2016) Malaria Journal Chemoprophylaxis Hydroxychloroquine Malaria Military Plasmodium vivax Primaquine |
author_facet |
Jae Hyoung Im Kyungmin Huh Chang-Gyo Yoon Hyeongtaek Woo Jin-Soo Lee Moon-Hyun Chung Terry A. Klein Jaehun Jung |
author_sort |
Jae Hyoung Im |
title |
Malaria control and chemoprophylaxis policy in the Republic of Korea Armed Forces for the previous 20 years (1997–2016) |
title_short |
Malaria control and chemoprophylaxis policy in the Republic of Korea Armed Forces for the previous 20 years (1997–2016) |
title_full |
Malaria control and chemoprophylaxis policy in the Republic of Korea Armed Forces for the previous 20 years (1997–2016) |
title_fullStr |
Malaria control and chemoprophylaxis policy in the Republic of Korea Armed Forces for the previous 20 years (1997–2016) |
title_full_unstemmed |
Malaria control and chemoprophylaxis policy in the Republic of Korea Armed Forces for the previous 20 years (1997–2016) |
title_sort |
malaria control and chemoprophylaxis policy in the republic of korea armed forces for the previous 20 years (1997–2016) |
publisher |
BMC |
series |
Malaria Journal |
issn |
1475-2875 |
publishDate |
2018-08-01 |
description |
Abstract Background Vivax malaria reemerged along the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), Republic of Korea (ROK), in 1993. While it was hypothesized that vivax malaria would spread throughout the peninsula, nearly all cases were due to exposure near the DMZ. To reduce spillover of vivax malaria to the civilian community, the ROK Ministry of National Defense (MND) initiated malaria prevention policies including a large-scale chemoprophylaxis programme in malaria high-risk areas in 1997. The present study investigated the overall changes in the incidence of malaria among ROK soldiers and the mass chemoprophylaxis program from 1997 to 2016. Results Peak numbers of vivax malaria were reported in 2000, with most cases reported near the DMZ, before declining to the current levels. To combat the rapid increase in the number of malaria cases and its expansion throughout the ROK, the MND implemented mosquito control and personal protection programmes. The MND also implemented a large-scale vivax malaria chemoprophylaxis programme using hydroxychloroquine (400 mg weekly) in 1997, and primaquine (15 mg × 14 days) as terminal chemoprophylaxis in 2001. Additionally, an improved medical system enabled the rapid detection and treatment of malaria to reduce morbidity and decrease transmission of malaria from humans to mosquitoes. Following the full implementation of these programmes, the incidence of vivax malaria declined in both ROK Armed Forces and civilian populations. Subsequently, several changes in the ROK Armed Forces chemoprophylaxis programme were implemented, including the reduction of the period of hydroxychloroquine prophylaxis by 2 months (2008) and other changes in the chemoprophylaxis policy, e.g., only ROK Armed Forces personnel in moderate risk groups received terminal primaquine chemoprophylaxis (2011), and in 2016, the discontinuation of terminal primaquine chemoprophylaxis in moderate-risk area. Conclusions The resurgence of vivax malaria in the ROK Armed Forces personnel near the DMZ was successfully suppressed through the implementation of a mass malaria chemoprophylaxis programme initiated by the MND in 1997, as well as several other factors that may have contributed to the reduction of malaria transmission since 2000. Given the current malaria situation in the ROK and North Korea, it is necessary to reevaluate the ROK Armed Forces and civilian malaria control policies. |
topic |
Chemoprophylaxis Hydroxychloroquine Malaria Military Plasmodium vivax Primaquine |
url |
http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12936-018-2449-4 |
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