Antimalarial drugs are used in two primary contexts: prophylaxis and treatment.
- Prophylaxis: Travelers to malaria-endemic areas often take antimalarial drugs to prevent infection. Prophylactic regimens may include daily or weekly dosing of medications such as chloroquine, doxycycline, or atovaquone-proguanil. - Treatment: Once an individual is diagnosed with malaria, the choice of treatment depends on the species of Plasmodium and the region where the infection was acquired. Artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) are commonly recommended for treating Plasmodium falciparum malaria, the most deadly form.
