Efficacy of Artesunate-amodiaquine (AS-AQ) in Children With Malaria and Severe Acute Malnutrition, Madaoua, Niger 2010

Inclusion Criteria: * Age between 6 and 59 months * Weight ≥5kg * P. falciparum monoinfection confirmed on a thick blood film * Parasitic density between 1,000 and 200,000 asexual forms/uL of blood * Measured axillary temperature ≥37.5°C or history of fever during the previous 24 hours * Severe malnutrition (defined as a weight/height ratio less than -3 z-scores) * High probability of compliance with follow-up visits (home is within two hours of walk from the outpatient department, no near-term travel plans, etc..) * Consent of a parent or guardian who is at least 18 years of age. Exclusion Criteria: * Signs of a critical illness as defined by the WHO (WHO (2000) Severe falciparum malaria; Clinical features of severe falciparum malaria in children. Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 94 (supplement 1), 5-11). * Signs of severe or complicated malaria as defined by the WHO (WHO (2000) Severe falciparum malaria; Clinical features of severe falciparum malaria in children. Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 94 (supplement 1), 5-11). * Severe anaemia (haemoglobin \<5 g/dL) * Known history of hypersensitivity to any of the study medications, * Symmetric oedema in the feet, * Concomitant febrile illness not originating from malaria, which could alter the outcome of the study (measles, acute lower respiratory tract infection, otitis media, tonsillitis, abscesses, severe diarrhea with dehydration, etc.), * History of a full treatment course with the study drug in the past 28 days.