Compliance With Malaria Rapid Diagnostic Testing by Community Health Workers in 3 Malaria-Endemic Countries of Sub-Saharan Africa: An Observational Study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

 The World Health Organization recommends that all malaria management be based on parasitological identification. We monitored performance of trained community health workers (CHWs) in adhering to this recommendation to restrict artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) to positive rapid diagnostic test (RDT)-confirmed cases in children in 3 malaria-endemic sub-Saharan African countries.

Methods

 In 33 villages in Burkina Faso, 45 villages in Nigeria, and 84 villages in Uganda, 265 CHWs were trained over a minimum of 3 days to diagnose malaria using RDTs (prepare, read, record results, and inform the patient about results) and treat RDT-confirmed uncomplicated malaria cases with ACTs. In Nigeria, CHWs were also taught to obtain a thick blood smear. Spent RDT

SUBMITTER: Singlovic J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5146698 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature