Antimalarial drug resistance remains a critical challenge to global malaria control and elimination efforts. Molecular markers of antimalarial drug resistance are defined as genetic alterations associated with reduced parasite susceptibility to an antimalarial medicine. They are becoming an increasingly important tool for detecting resistance, monitoring trends, and informing effective response strategies. Although markers of resistance have been identified for some antimalarial medicines, monitoring and reporting remain inconsistent. This is partly due to the absence of a unified, curated reference list of molecular markers. 

The "Compendium of molecular markers for antimalarial drug resistance" provides a consolidated and up-to-date source of knowledge on genetic alterations associated with antimalarial drug resistance. While this represents an important milestone, achieving the full potential of malaria molecular surveillance will require continued efforts to identify genetic markers associated with resistance across all antimalarial medicines.  

Developed to guide national malaria programmes and researchers, the compendium offers a structured framework for prioritizing markers and improving the consistency of molecular surveillance. It also highlights critical knowledge gaps to guide and prioritize future research efforts.