Efficacy of Three ACTs for the Treatment of Falciparum Malaria in Maradi Niger

Study treatments: * Artemether-lumefantrine * Artesunate-amodiaquine * Dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine Location: Maradi, Niger Principal Objective: To measure the clinical and parasitological efficacy of the three artemisinin combination therapies over a period of 42 days from the start of treatment and with polymerase chain reaction assay (PCR) adjustment. Secondary objectives: * To determine the blood concentration of the non-artemisinin component of the treatment (lumefantrine, desethylamodiaquine or piperaquine) at day 7 * To assess the incidence of adverse events during the follow-up period; * To measure speed of parasite clearance Methods: In vivo non comparative study as for WHO standardised protocol. The study also measure the concentration of the non-artemisinin component. Target population: Children under 5 years of age consulting the integrated health centres of Andoumé and Dix-sept portes in Maradi. Sample size: 221 patients per study treatment; 663 patients in total. Treatment allocation: Random. Outcomes: * Early treatment failure, * Late clinical failure, * Late parasitological failure, * Adequate clinical and parasitological response. Analysis: * Cumulative success or failure rate (Kaplan-Meier analysis). * Proportions of early treatment failures, late clinical failures, late parasitological failures, and adequate clinical and parasitological response (called also Per-protocol analysis).