School-Based Malaria Screening and Treatment Reduces Plasmodium falciparum Infection and Anemia Prevalence in Two Transmission Settings in Malawi.

ABSTRACT:

Background

In areas highly endemic for malaria, Plasmodium falciparum infection prevalence peaks in school-age children, adversely affecting health and education. School-based intermittent preventive treatment reduces this burden but concerns about cost and widespread use of antimalarial drugs limit enthusiasm for this approach. School-based screening and treatment is an attractive alternative. In a prospective cohort study, we evaluated the impact of school-based screening and treatment on the prevalence of P. falciparum infection and anemia in 2 transmission settings.

Methods

We screened 704 students in 4 Malawian primary schools for P. falciparum infection using rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs), and treated students who tested positive with artemether-lumefantrine. We determ

SUBMITTER: Cohee LM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9373151 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature