G6PD deficiency testing is MANDATORY before administering which antimalarial drug used in the NVBDCP programme?

• A Primaquine ✓
• B Chloroquine
• C Artemisinin combination therapy (ACT)
• D Quinine

Explanation

Primaquine is an 8-aminoquinoline drug used for radical cure of Plasmodium vivax (elimination of liver hypnozoites) and as gametocytocidal therapy for P. falciparum. Primaquine causes dose-dependent oxidative haemolysis in G6PD-deficient individuals. Under NVBDCP revised 2013 guidelines, a single dose of primaquine 0.25 mg/kg is also used for P. falciparum as gametocytocide. G6PD screening before primaquine is mandated in all cases. Chloroquine, ACT, and quinine do not require G6PD testing.

Reference: Park's Textbook of Preventive and Social Medicine, 27th ed.

High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP

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