assessment of therapeutic efficacy of chloroquine on uncomplicated falciparum malaria in sistan-baluchestan, hormozgan and kerman provinces in 2003

background: malaria is one of the most important parasitic diseases in iran. due to importantce of drug policy, monitoring of chloroquine therapeutic efficacy in uncomplicated falciparum cases was carried out in south and south-east of iran in 2003. materials and methods: this discriptive study was carried out in five centers of sistan-baluchestan, hormozgan and kerman provinces (south and south-east) according to the latest who protocol. accordingly, 46 patients suffering from falciparum malaria were followed up for 28 days on the 1st, 2nd, 3th, 7th, 21st and 28th day following the treatment regarding the incidence of clinical symptoms and parasitemia and their responses to treatment were classified into four groups: sensitive, early treatment failure, late clinical failure and late parasitological failure. then , the data were statistically analyzed. results: six people were excluded from the research due to different reasons and the study was carried out on 46 patients. the results showed that only 26.1% of the patients were sensitive to chloroquine. 15.2% showed early treatment failure, 28.3% late clinical failure and 30.4% of them were late parasitological failure. conclusions: therapeatic effect of chloroquine seems little and should be investigated. based on the above findings and probable same results in the next year, the first line drug regimen should be changed in treatment of uncomplicated falciparum malaria.