Source document: https://docs-lawep.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1697632103701.pdf (Australia)
Major Phillip George CHAPMAN (Retired) Committee Secretariat Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Committee Department of the Senate PO Box 6100 Parliament House Canberra ACT 2600 Dear Senators, Submission to Senate Inquiry into The use of the Quinoline anti-malarial drugs Mefloquine and Tafenoquine in the Australian Defence Force (ADF).
This submission seeks to address the following elements of the Terms of reference: Section (b) “the nature and extent of any adverse health effects of those who have taken Mefloquine/Tafenoquine on serving and former ADF personnel;” and Section (c) “the support available for partners, carers and families of personnel who experience any adverse health effects of Quinoline anti-malarial drugs;” I am a retired Australian Army Major and was a participant in the Australian Army’s 1999 Tafenoquine study/trial in Bougainville, PNG conducted by the Army Malarial Institute and was one of the participants given Tafenoquine.
I was administered 400mg doses for three consecutive days (27th, 28th and 29th March 1999) commencing five days pre-departure from Bougainville.
I must emphasise that I was a volunteer for this trial and volunteered because the benefits of taking Tafenoquine as a post-deployment eradication were “sold” to us, at the briefing for the trial (three days pre-departure for Tafenoquine), as the being a far better option than the arduous task of taking the alternative ‘standard’ 14 day post-departure eradication program.

On the first day I was administered Tafenoquine I developed a headache and nausea.

This continued for another 13 days.


I departed Bougainville on 1 April 1999 and arrived in Townsville, Australia the same day.

That evening I went out for dinner in town with a group of fellow officers from the deployment.

During dinner I had a couple of red wines.

A short time later (perhaps around 8.30pm) a veil of blackness slowly closed over my eyes whilst in the restaurant.
About 4am the following morning this veil of blackness slowly lifted, for me to find myself sitting on the toilet in the ablutions of the Officers’ accommodation block and feeling extremely unwell.

I went back to my room (found the key in the pocket of my sleeping shorts) and there were my clothes laying neatly across the chair.
I had absolutely no knowledge of what happened after the ‘blackout’, of getting back to the RAAF Base, of Use of the Quinoline anti-malarial drugs Mefloquine and Tafenoquine in the Australian Defence ForceSubmission 87 going to my room, of undressing and changing into my sleeping attire, of going to bed , of going to toilet until the ‘veil of blackness’ lifted whilst sitting on the toilet.

At breakfast that morning I asked all my companions what had happened to me.
They questioned what I meant – they all responded to the effect that “I was out with them and we all caught a cab back to the mess and went to bed”.

I explained what had happened to one of the Medical Officers in the group (the then Major Lennard Brennan) and he said that I didn't seem any different last night and had caught a cab with the rest of them and had gone back to my room and could offer no explanation for my ‘blackout event’.
I felt really ill that morning until boarding the civilian flight back to Melbourne.

On that flight were several others on the Tafenoquine trial.

A number of us all ended up standing down at the rear of the plane near the toilets for most of the flight as we all felt extremely ill – the others that were there were all given Tafenoquine.

I was not sure if the Tafenoquine had caused the ‘illness’ but it seemed strange that the only ones that were ill were those that had been administered Tafenoquine.
I was not well for the weeks following my return to Australia which caused me some concern as I had been away from home for some time and I was unable to properly re-unite with my family due to feeling unwell.

This seemed to put some distance between me and my wife and children who had expected me to come home and be excited to see them.

This in turn led to conflict within my family and me becoming depressed.
From the time I returned my moods have been like a pendulum, getting anxious and depressed very easily which has led to me getting frustrated and angry with my family and even in the workplace.

I also suffered frequent unexplained headaches since my return from Bougainville.
This continued unexplained and unabated until 2012 when I was eventually diagnosed with Depressive Disorder and treated accordingly, which led to my resigning from the Army in 2013 because, following my diagnosis with Depression, I had been medically restricted in my employment and was not allowed to handle live ammunition, deploy on operations and not allowed to drive military vehicles – this had happened after a military career of 40yrs and I felt worthless as a soldier.
During my service post 1998 I did not seek medical assistance for what I now believe are the side effects of the drug Tafenoquine as I was unaware of those side effects and was not made aware by the Defence Force medical system.

It would appear there was and still is a great reluctance by the ADF to acknowledge these side effects and to provide the appropriate treatment for them.
When I left the Army I commenced work with a State Government Corporation but had many problems adjusting to the workplace and had a number of workplace conflicts which resulted in me being disciplined by my employer and again seeking help for my psychological condition.

I was further diagnosed with the Adjustment Disorder with Depressed and Anxious Moods and forced to leave my employment and retire from the workforce.
I believe that my clinically diagnosed mental health disorders and my unexplained headaches have resulted from my being administered Tafenoquine in 1999.

Whilst I thank the Senate for establishing and conducting this inquiry however, I feel that the issues of the effects of the Quinoline anti-malarial drugs and its use in the Australian Defence Force can only be truly investigated and resolved through the establishment of a Royal Commission into these matters.
Use of the Quinoline anti-malarial drugs Mefloquine and Tafenoquine in the Australian Defence ForceSubmission 87 Respectfully yours, Phillip Chapman, Major (Retired) Use of the Quinoline anti-malarial drugs Mefloquine and Tafenoquine in the Australian Defence ForceSubmission 87