Metalloantimalarials

Malaria is a worldwide neglected infectious disease that, despite decades of research invested in its prevention and treatment, remains one of the main causes of mortality and morbidity in the world. As reported by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2011, 3.3 billion people were at risk of malaria, mainly in the 106 malaria-endemic countries located in the tropical and subtropical zones of the globe. Malaria is preventable through methods of malaria vector control. The two most important vector control methods recommended by the WHO are long-lasting insecticide-treated mosquito nets (LLIN) and indoor residual spraying (IRS). Indoor residual spraying (IRS) with WHO-approved chemicals consists of application of residual insecticides to the inner surfaces of dwellings. Of all factors that have contributed to the recrudescence of malaria in the last 50 years, increasing antimalarial drug resistance is probably the major contributor. This phenomenon, which rapidly depleted the therapies available to fight malaria, has led to intensive research carried out for decades that produced a large pool of antimalarial drugs.