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To redefine strategy and policy to cure or to prevent malaria, there is a need to get relevant and updated data on Plasmodium sp sensitivity level to antimalarial drugs. Thus, in September 1999, the Madagascan Ministry of Health and the Institut Pasteur de Madagascar (IPM) formed a network named RER for malaria resistance surveillance. To alleviate the lack of experienced medical teams within the health centres, and due to technical and logistic matters, as part of the network activities, it was decided to give a start with the in vitro studies which are carried out at IPM. In vitro sensitivity testing is done by use of the isotopic method. Results from the study done in 2001 demonstrate that the Madagascan P. falciparum isolates are susceptible to amodiaquine (n = 215), to cycloguanil (n = 56), to pyrimethamine (n = 98) and to quinine (n = 214). One isolate (1/110 i.e. 0.9%) of mefloquine-resistant phenotype is detected from the Eastern region. P. falciparum susceptibility to chloroquine is satisfactory with 95.4% (206/216) of in vitro sensitive isolates. RER arises from the partnership and collaboration between the Madagascan Ministry of Health and the IPM. The network set-up is presented. The usefulness of the in vivo approach, and the in vitro investigations (chemosusceptibility test and screening of mutations accounting for resistance to chloroquine) to monitor the emergence and the dissemination of drug-resistant parasites in Madagascar as well as in the subregion of the Indian Ocean is discussed.