Editorial: Vitamin A as adjunct therapy for cerebral malaria: what is the evidence?

Severe malaria continues to cause significant morbidity and mortality in several settings in Africa despite the availability of efficacious and potent antimalarial drugs. This has led to an increased interest in adjunctive therapies that target the underlying pathophysiology of severe malaria as additional approaches to management that may further reduce morbidity and mortality. Several adjunctive therapies have been tested over the years including dexamethasone, exchange blood transfusion, Nacetylsysteine, anti-TNF, mannitol and levamisole. However despite numerous clinical trials, to date, effective adjunctive treatments have been elusive. Most trials have been underpowered and in a recent review many were found to have inadequate methodological quality.