Mass primaquine preventive treatment for control of in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea: a country success story.

In 1998, the resurgence of Plasmodium vivax malaria in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea quickly increased to an epidemic, with 601 013 cases reported I during 1999-2001. The introduction of mass primaquine preventive treatment (MPPT) in 2002 was followed by a rapid reduction of malaria disease burden. The intervention has been well accepted by the community.