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Benner MT, Mohr O, Kaloy W, Sansoenboon A, Moungsookjarean A, Kaiser P, Carrara VI, McGready R. Mother, child and adolescent health outcomes in two long-term refugee camp settings at the Thai-Myanmar border 2000-2018: a retrospective analysis. Prim Health Care Res Dev 2024; 25:e27. [PMID: 38721695 DOI: 10.1017/s146342362400015x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/16/2024] Open
Abstract
AIM The study assessed mothers, children and adolescents' health (MCAH) outcomes in the context of a Primary Health Care (PHC) project and associated costs in two protracted long-term refugee camps, along the Thai-Myanmar border. BACKGROUND Myanmar refugees settled in Thailand nearly 40 years ago, in a string of camps along the border, where they fully depend on external support for health and social services. Between 2000 and 2018, a single international NGO has been implementing an integrated PHC project. METHODS This retrospective study looked at the trends of MCAH indicators of mortality and morbidity and compared them to the sustainable development goals (SDGs) indicators. A review of programme documents explored and triangulated the evolution and changing context of the PHC services, and associated project costs were analysed. To verify changes over time, interviews with 12 key informants were conducted. FINDINGS While maternal mortality (SDG3.1) remained high at 126.5/100,000 live births, child mortality (SDG 3.2) and infectious diseases in children under 5 (SDG 3.3) fell by 69% and by up to 92%, respectively. Maternal anaemia decreased by 30%; and more than 90% of pregnant women attended four or more antenatal care visits, whereas 80% delivered by a skilled birth attendant; caesarean section rates rose but remained low at an average of 3.7%; the adolescent (15-19 years) birth rate peaked at 188 per 1000 in 2015 but declined to 89/1000 in 2018 (SDG 3.7). CONCLUSION Comprehensive PHC delivery, with improved health provider competence in MCAH care, together with secured funding is an appropriate strategy to bring MCAH indicators to acceptable levels. However, inequities due to confinement in camps, fragmentation of specific health services, prevent fulfilment of the 2030 SDG Agenda to 'Leave no one behind'. Costs per birth was 115 EURO in 2018; however, MCAH expenditure requires further exploration over a longer period.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Oliver Mohr
- Independent Researcher, Bad Krozingen, Germany
| | | | | | - Aree Moungsookjarean
- National Professional Officer (Border Migrant Health and EPI), World Health Organization, Ministry of Public Health, Nonthaburi, Thailand
| | - Peter Kaiser
- Mental Health and Medical Director, Swiss Red Cross Center for Victims of Torture and War, Wabern, Germany
| | - Verena I Carrara
- Shoklo Malaria Research Unit, Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Mae Sot, Thailand
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Institute of Global Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Rose McGready
- Shoklo Malaria Research Unit, Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Mae Sot, Thailand
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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Kim H, Tak S, Lee SD, Park S, Hwang K. Factors associated with the timely diagnosis of malaria and the utilization of types of healthcare facilities: a retrospective study in the Republic of Korea. Osong Public Health Res Perspect 2024; 15:159-167. [PMID: 38621761 PMCID: PMC11082442 DOI: 10.24171/j.phrp.2023.0349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2023] [Revised: 01/08/2024] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/17/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND This study aimed to analyze trends in the timely diagnosis of malaria cases over the past 10 years in relation to the utilization of different types of healthcare facilities. METHODS The study included 3,697 confirmed and suspected cases of malaria reported between January 1, 2013, and December 31, 2022, in the national integrative disease and healthcare management system. Some cases lacking a case report or with information missing from the case report were excluded from the analysis. A generalized linear model with a Poisson distribution was constructed to estimate risk ratios and 95% confidence intervals adjusted for other variables, such as distance. RESULTS When cases involving diagnosis >5 days after symptom onset in confirmed patients (5DD) were examined according to the type of healthcare facility, the risk ratio of 5DD cases was found to be higher for tertiary hospitals than for public health facilities. Specifically, the risk ratio was higher when the diagnosis was established at a tertiary hospital, even after a participant had visited primary or secondary hospitals. In an analysis adjusted for the distance to each participant's healthcare facility, the results did not differ substantially from the results of the crude analysis. CONCLUSION It is imperative to improve the diagnostic capabilities of public facilities and raise awareness of malaria at primary healthcare facilities for effective prevention and control.
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Affiliation(s)
- HyunJung Kim
- Division of Control for Zoonotic and Vector Borne Disease, Bureau of Infectious Disease Policy, Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, Cheongju, Republic of Korea
| | - Sangwoo Tak
- Division of Risk Assessment, Bureau of Public Health Emergency Preparedness, Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, Cheongju, Republic of Korea
| | - So-dam Lee
- Division of Control for Zoonotic and Vector Borne Disease, Bureau of Infectious Disease Policy, Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, Cheongju, Republic of Korea
| | - Seongwoo Park
- Division of Control for Zoonotic and Vector Borne Disease, Bureau of Infectious Disease Policy, Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, Cheongju, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyungwon Hwang
- Division of Control for Zoonotic and Vector Borne Disease, Bureau of Infectious Disease Policy, Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, Cheongju, Republic of Korea
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Zaw AS, Win ESS, Yan SW, Thein KS, Verma V, McLean ARD, Kyaw TT, White NJ, Smithuis FM. Successful elimination of falciparum malaria following the introduction of community-based health workers in Eastern Myanmar: A retrospective analysis. PLoS Med 2023; 20:e1004318. [PMID: 38033155 PMCID: PMC10721164 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1004318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2023] [Revised: 12/14/2023] [Accepted: 11/03/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Myanmar has a large majority of all malaria in the Greater Mekong Subregion. In the past decade, substantial progress was made in malaria control. The residual burden of malaria is in remote areas where currently recommended malaria elimination approaches are generally not feasible. In such hard-to-reach communities in Mon state, East Myanmar, Medical Action Myanmar introduced community health workers (CHWs) to deliver early diagnosis and treatment for malaria. We conducted a retrospective analysis to assess the impact of this intervention. METHODS AND FINDINGS This retrospective analysis involved data collected routinely from a CHW programme in Mon state conducted between 2011 and 2018. A network of 172 CHWs serving a population of 236,340 was deployed. These CHWs carried out 260,201 malaria rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) to investigate patients with acute febrile illness. The median blood examination rate was 1.33%; interquartile range (IQR) (0.38 to 3.48%); 95% CI [1.28%, 1.36%] per month. The changes in malaria incidence and prevalence in patients presenting with fever were assessed using negative binomial regression mixed effects models fitted to the observed data. The incidence of Plasmodium falciparum malaria (including mixed infections) declined by 70%; 95% CI [65%, 75%]; p < 0.001 for each year of CHW operation. The incidence of P. vivax malaria declined by 56%; 95% CI [50%, 62%]; p < 0.001 per year. Malaria RDT positivity rates for P. falciparum and P. vivax declined by 69%; 95% CI [62%, 75%]; p < 0.001 and 53%; 95% CI [47%, 59%]; p < 0.001 per year, respectively. Between 2017 and 2018, only 1 imported P. falciparum case was detected in 54,961 RDTs. The main limitations of the study are use of retrospective data with possible unidentified confounders and uncharacterised population movement. CONCLUSIONS The introduction of CHWs providing community-based malaria diagnosis and treatment and basic health care services in remote communities in Mon state was associated with a substantial reduction in malaria. Within 6 years, P. falciparum was eliminated and the incidence of P. vivax fell markedly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aye Sandar Zaw
- Medical Action Myanmar, Yangon, Myanmar
- Myanmar Oxford Clinical Research Unit, Yangon, Myanmar
| | | | | | | | | | - Alistair R. D. McLean
- Medical Action Myanmar, Yangon, Myanmar
- Myanmar Oxford Clinical Research Unit, Yangon, Myanmar
| | - Thar Tun Kyaw
- Medical Action Myanmar, Yangon, Myanmar
- Myanmar Oxford Clinical Research Unit, Yangon, Myanmar
- Department of Public Health, Ministry of Health and Sports, Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar
| | - Nicholas J. White
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit (MORU), Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Frank M. Smithuis
- Medical Action Myanmar, Yangon, Myanmar
- Myanmar Oxford Clinical Research Unit, Yangon, Myanmar
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit (MORU), Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
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Bechtold P, Wagner P, Hosch S, Gregorini M, Stark WJ, Gody JC, Kodia-Lenguetama ER, Pagonendji MS, Donfack OT, Phiri WP, García GA, Nsanzanbana C, Daubenberger CA, Schindler T, Vickos U. Development and evaluation of PlasmoPod: A cartridge-based nucleic acid amplification test for rapid malaria diagnosis and surveillance. PLOS GLOBAL PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 3:e0001516. [PMID: 37756280 PMCID: PMC10529553 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgph.0001516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2022] [Accepted: 09/04/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023]
Abstract
Malaria surveillance is hampered by the widespread use of diagnostic tests with low sensitivity. Adequate molecular malaria diagnostics are often only available in centralized laboratories. PlasmoPod is a novel cartridge-based nucleic acid amplification test for rapid, sensitive, and quantitative detection of malaria parasites. PlasmoPod is based on reverse-transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) of the highly abundant Plasmodium spp. 18S ribosomal RNA/DNA biomarker and is run on a portable qPCR instrument which allows diagnosis in less than 30 minutes. Our analytical performance evaluation indicates that a limit-of-detection as low as 0.02 parasites/μL can be achieved and no cross-reactivity with other pathogens common in malaria endemic regions was observed. In a cohort of 102 asymptomatic individuals from Bioko Island with low malaria parasite densities, PlasmoPod accurately detected 83 cases, resulting in an overall detection rate of 81.4%. Notably, there was a strong correlation between the Cq values obtained from the reference RT-qPCR assay and those obtained from PlasmoPod. In an independent cohort, using dried blood spots from malaria symptomatic children living in the Central African Republic, we demonstrated that PlasmoPod outperforms malaria rapid diagnostic tests based on the PfHRP2 and panLDH antigens as well as thick blood smear microscopy. Our data suggest that this 30-minute sample-to-result RT-qPCR procedure is likely to achieve a diagnostic performance comparable to a standard laboratory-based RT-qPCR setup. We believe that the PlasmoPod rapid NAAT could enable widespread accessibility of high-quality and cost-effective molecular malaria surveillance data through decentralization of testing and surveillance activities, especially in elimination settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philippe Bechtold
- Institute for Chemical and Bioengineering, ETH Zurich, Zuerich, Switzerland
- Diaxxo AG, Zuerich, Switzerland
| | - Philipp Wagner
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland
- University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Salome Hosch
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland
- University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Michele Gregorini
- Institute for Chemical and Bioengineering, ETH Zurich, Zuerich, Switzerland
- Diaxxo AG, Zuerich, Switzerland
| | - Wendelin J. Stark
- Institute for Chemical and Bioengineering, ETH Zurich, Zuerich, Switzerland
- Diaxxo AG, Zuerich, Switzerland
| | - Jean Chrysostome Gody
- Paediatric Hospital and University Complex of Bangui, Bangui, Central African Republic
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Christian Nsanzanbana
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland
- University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Claudia A. Daubenberger
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland
- University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Tobias Schindler
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland
- University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Ulrich Vickos
- Infectious and Tropical Diseases Unit, Department of Medicine, Amitié Hospital, Bangui, Central African Republic
- Microbiology and Diagnostic Immunology Unit, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
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Hassan I, Kanoi BN, Nagaoka H, Sattabongkot J, Udomsangpetch R, Tsuboi T, Takashima E. High-Throughput Antibody Profiling Identifies Targets of Protective Immunity against P. falciparum Malaria in Thailand. Biomolecules 2023; 13:1267. [PMID: 37627332 PMCID: PMC10452476 DOI: 10.3390/biom13081267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2023] [Revised: 08/09/2023] [Accepted: 08/11/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Malaria poses a significant global health challenge, resulting in approximately 600,000 deaths each year. Individuals living in regions with endemic malaria have the potential to develop partial immunity, thanks in part to the presence of anti-plasmodium antibodies. As efforts are made to optimize and implement strategies to reduce malaria transmission and ultimately eliminate the disease, it is crucial to understand how these interventions impact naturally acquired protective immunity. To shed light on this, our study focused on assessing antibody responses to a carefully curated library of P. falciparum recombinant proteins (n = 691) using samples collected from individuals residing in a low-malaria-transmission region of Thailand. We conducted the antibody assays using the AlphaScreen system, a high-throughput homogeneous proximity-based bead assay that detects protein interactions. We observed that out of the 691 variable surface and merozoite stage proteins included in the library, antibodies to 268 antigens significantly correlated with the absence of symptomatic malaria in an univariate analysis. Notably, the most prominent antigens identified were P. falciparum erythrocyte membrane protein 1 (PfEMP1) domains. These results align with our previous research conducted in Uganda, suggesting that similar antigens like PfEMP1s might play a pivotal role in determining infection outcomes in diverse populations. To further our understanding, it remains critical to conduct functional characterization of these identified proteins, exploring their potential as correlates of protection or as targets for vaccine development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ifra Hassan
- Division of Malaria Research, Proteo-Science Center, Ehime University, Matsuyama 790-8577, Japan; (I.H.); (H.N.)
| | - Bernard N. Kanoi
- Centre for Malaria Elimination, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Mount Kenya University, Thika 01000, Kenya;
| | - Hikaru Nagaoka
- Division of Malaria Research, Proteo-Science Center, Ehime University, Matsuyama 790-8577, Japan; (I.H.); (H.N.)
| | - Jetsumon Sattabongkot
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand
| | - Rachanee Udomsangpetch
- Center for Research and Innovation, Faculty of Medical Technology, Mahidol University, Salaya, Nakhon Pathom 73170, Thailand;
| | - Takafumi Tsuboi
- Division of Cell-Free Sciences, Proteo-Science Center, Ehime University, Matsuyama 790-8577, Japan;
| | - Eizo Takashima
- Division of Malaria Research, Proteo-Science Center, Ehime University, Matsuyama 790-8577, Japan; (I.H.); (H.N.)
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Azizi H, Davtalab Esmaeili E, Abbasi F. Availability of malaria diagnostic tests, anti-malarial drugs, and the correctness of treatment: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Malar J 2023; 22:127. [PMID: 37072759 PMCID: PMC10111310 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-023-04555-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2023] [Accepted: 04/07/2023] [Indexed: 04/20/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Health facilities' availability of malaria diagnostic tests and anti-malarial drugs (AMDs), and the correctness of treatment are critical for the appropriate case management, and malaria surveillance programs. It is also reliable evidence for malaria elimination certification in low-transmission settings. This meta-analysis aimed to estimate summary proportions for the availability of malaria diagnostic tests, AMDs, and the correctness of treatment. METHODS The Web of Science, Scopus, Medline, Embase, and Malaria Journal were systematically searched up to 30th January 2023. The study searched any records reporting the availability of diagnostic tests and AMDs and the correctness of malaria treatment. Eligibility and risk of bias assessment of studies were conducted independently in a blinded way by two reviewers. For the pooling of studies, meta-analysis using random effects model were carried out to estimate summary proportions of the availability of diagnostic tests, AMDs, and correctness of malaria treatment. RESULTS A total of 18 studies, incorporating 7,429 health facilities, 9,745 health workers, 41,856 febrile patients, and 15,398 malaria patients, and no study in low malaria transmission areas, were identified. The pooled proportion of the availability of malaria diagnostic tests, and the first-line AMDs in health facilities was 76% (95% CI 67-84); and 83% (95% CI 79-87), respectively. A pooled meta-analysis using random effects indicates the overall proportion of the correctness of malaria treatment 62% (95% CI 54-69). The appropriate malaria treatment was improved over time from 2009 to 2023. In the sub-group analysis, the correctness of treatment proportion was 53% (95% CI 50-63) for non-physicians health workers and 69% (95% CI 55-84) for physicians. CONCLUSION Findings of this review indicated that the correctness of malaria treatment and the availability of AMDs and diagnostic tests need improving to progress the malaria elimination stage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hosein Azizi
- Research Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
- Women's Reproductive Health Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
| | | | - Fariba Abbasi
- Women's Reproductive Health Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
- Department of Diseases Control and Prevention, Vice-chancellor for Health, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
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Opoku Afriyie S, Addison TK, Gebre Y, Mutala AH, Antwi KB, Abbas DA, Addo KA, Tweneboah A, Ayisi-Boateng NK, Koepfli C, Badu K. Accuracy of diagnosis among clinical malaria patients: comparing microscopy, RDT and a highly sensitive quantitative PCR looking at the implications for submicroscopic infections. Malar J 2023; 22:76. [PMID: 36870966 PMCID: PMC9985253 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-023-04506-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2022] [Accepted: 02/18/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The World Health Organization recommends parasitological confirmation of all suspected malaria cases by microscopy or rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) before treatment. These conventional tools are widely used for point-of-care diagnosis in spite of their poor sensitivity at low parasite density. Previous studies in Ghana have compared microscopy and RDT using standard 18S rRNA PCR as reference with varying outcomes. However, how these conventional tools compare with ultrasensitive varATS qPCR has not been studied. This study, therefore, sought to investigate the clinical performance of microscopy and RDT assuming highly sensitive varATS qPCR as gold standard. METHODS 1040 suspected malaria patients were recruited from two primary health care centers in the Ashanti Region of Ghana and tested for malaria by microscopy, RDT, and varATS qPCR. The sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values were assessed using varATS qPCR as gold standard. RESULTS Parasite prevalence was 17.5%, 24.5%, and 42.1% by microscopy, RDT, and varATS qPCR respectively. Using varATS qPCR as the standard, RDT was more sensitive (55.7% vs 39.3%), equally specific (98.2% vs 98.3%), and reported higher positive (95.7% vs 94.5%) and negative predictive values (75.3% vs 69.0%) than microscopy. Consequently, RDT recorded better diagnostic agreement (kappa = 0.571) with varATS qPCR than microscopy (kappa = 0.409) for clinical detection of malaria. CONCLUSIONS RDT outperformed microscopy for the diagnosis of Plasmodium falciparum malaria in the study. However, both tests missed over 40% of infections that were detected by varATS qPCR. Novel tools are needed to ensure prompt diagnosis of all clinical malaria cases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen Opoku Afriyie
- Department of Theoretical and Applied Biology, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Thomas Kwame Addison
- Department of Theoretical and Applied Biology, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Yilekal Gebre
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, South Bend, IN, USA
| | - Abdul-Hakim Mutala
- Department of Theoretical and Applied Biology, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Kwasi Baako Antwi
- Department of Theoretical and Applied Biology, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Dawood Ackom Abbas
- Department of Theoretical and Applied Biology, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Kofi Agyapong Addo
- Department of Theoretical and Applied Biology, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Austine Tweneboah
- Department of Theoretical and Applied Biology, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi, Ghana
| | | | - Cristian Koepfli
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, South Bend, IN, USA.
| | - Kingsley Badu
- Department of Theoretical and Applied Biology, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi, Ghana.
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Saita S, Roobsoong W, Khammaneechan P, Sukchan P, Lawpoolsri S, Sattabongkot J, Cui L, Okanurak K, Phuanukoonnon S, Parker DM. Community acceptability, participation, and adherence to mass drug administration with primaquine for Plasmodium vivax elimination in Southern Thailand: a mixed methods approach. Malar J 2023; 22:17. [PMID: 36635642 PMCID: PMC9837991 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-023-04443-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2022] [Accepted: 01/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Mass drug administration (MDA) with primaquine (PQ) is being considered for accelerating Plasmodium vivax elimination in remaining active foci. This study aimed to determine the acceptability of MDA with PQ in malaria endemic villages in a malarious setting in the South of Thailand undergoing MDA with PQ. METHODS A cross-sectional mixed-methods approach was conducted in seven malaria endemic villages where MDA with PQ was implemented. The data were collected from community villagers and health workers using structured questionnaires, in-depth interviews, and focus group discussions. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression models were used for quantitative data analysis. Thematic analysis was applied for qualitative data. RESULTS Among a total of 469 participants from the MDA villages, 293 participants were eligible for MDA with PQ and 79.86% (234) completed 14-days of PQ. The logistic regressions indicated that males (adjusted odds ratio: 2.52 [95% confidence interval: 1.33-4.81]) and those who are farmers (2.57 [1.12-5.90]) were most likely to participate in the MDA. Among 293 participants in the post-MDA study, 74.06% had originally agreed to participate in the MDA with PQ while 25.94% had originally reported not wanting to participate in the MDA. Of those who originally reported being willing to participate in the MDA, 71.23% followed through with participation in the first or second round. Conversely, 93.24% of those who originally reported not being willing to participate in the MDA did in fact participate in the MDA. Factors contributing to higher odds of agreeing to participate and following through with participation included being male (1.98 [1.06-3.69]) and correctly responding that malaria is preventable (2.32 [1.01-5.35]) with some differences by village. Five key themes emerged from the qualitative analyses: concern about side effects from taking PQ; disbelief that malaria could be eliminated in this setting; low overall concern about malaria infections; misunderstandings about malaria; and a general need to tailor public health efforts for this unique context. CONCLUSION While the reported likelihood of participating in MDA was high in this setting, actual follow-through was relatively moderate, partially because of eligibility (roughly 71% of those in the follow-up survey who originally agreed to participate actually followed through with participation). One of the largest concerns among study participants was PQ-related side effects-and these concerns likely heavily influenced participant adherence to the MDA. The results of this study can be used to tailor future MDAs, or other public health interventions, in this and potentially other similar settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sayambhu Saita
- grid.412434.40000 0004 1937 1127Faculty of Public Health, Thammasat University, Lampang, Thailand ,grid.412434.40000 0004 1937 1127Thammasat University Research Unit in One Health and Ecohealth, Thammasat University, Pathum Thani, Thailand
| | - Wanlapa Roobsoong
- grid.10223.320000 0004 1937 0490Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Patthanasak Khammaneechan
- grid.412867.e0000 0001 0043 6347Excellence Center for DACH, Walailak University, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Thailand
| | - Phnom Sukchan
- grid.444076.50000 0004 0388 8009Faculty of Medicine, Princess of Naradhiwas University, Narathiwat, Thailand
| | - Saranath Lawpoolsri
- grid.10223.320000 0004 1937 0490Department of Tropical Hygiene, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Jetsumon Sattabongkot
- grid.10223.320000 0004 1937 0490Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Liwang Cui
- grid.170693.a0000 0001 2353 285XDivision of Infectious Diseases and Internal Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL USA
| | - Kamolnetr Okanurak
- grid.10223.320000 0004 1937 0490Department of Social and Environmental Medicine, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Suparat Phuanukoonnon
- grid.10223.320000 0004 1937 0490Department of Social and Environmental Medicine, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Daniel M. Parker
- grid.266093.80000 0001 0668 7243Department of Population Health and Disease Prevention, University of California, Irvine, USA ,grid.266093.80000 0001 0668 7243Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, Irvine, USA
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Fitri LE, Endharti AT, Abidah HY, Khotimah ARH, Endrawati H. Fractions 14 and 36K of Metabolite Extract Streptomyces hygroscopicus subsp. Hygroscopicus Have Antimalarial Activities Against Plasmodium berghei in vitro. Infect Drug Resist 2023; 16:2973-2985. [PMID: 37201124 PMCID: PMC10187656 DOI: 10.2147/idr.s400538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2022] [Accepted: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 05/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Purpose The study was conducted to investigate the effectivity and the cytotoxicity of fractions 14 and 36K of metabolite extract of Streptomyces hygroscopicus subsp. Hygroscopicus as an antimalarial compounds against Plasmodium berghei in vitro. Methods Fractions 14 and 36K of metabolite extract of Streptomyces hygroscopicus subsp. Hygroscopicus produced by the fractionation process utilizing the Flash Column Chromatography (FCC) BUCHI Reveleris® PREP. Plasmodium berghei culture was used to assess the antimalarial activity of fractions 14 and 36K. Parasite densities and the ability of parasite growth were determined under microscopic. The cytotoxicity of the fractions was assessed using MTT assays on the MCF-7 cell line. Results Streptomyces hygroscopicus subsp. Hygroscopicus fractions 14 and 36K have antimalarial activity against Plasmodium berghei, with fraction 14 having the more potent activity. The percentage of Plasmodium berghei-infected erythrocytes was decreased as well as the increase of fraction concentration. Fraction 14 has the highest inhibition of parasite growth at a concentration of 156,25 μg/mL, with an inhibition percentage of 67.73% (R2 = 0.953, p = 0.000). IC50 of fractions 14 and 36K were found at 10.63 μg/mL and 135,91 μg/mL, respectively. The fractions caused morphological damage in almost all asexual stages of the parasite. Both fractions were not toxic against MCF-7, indicating that the fractions have a safe active metabolite. Conclusion Fractions 14 and 36K of metabolite extract Streptomyces hygroscopicus subsp. Hygroscopicus contains non-toxic compounds that could damage the morphology and inhibit the growth of Plasmodium berghei in vitro.
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Affiliation(s)
- Loeki Enggar Fitri
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Brawijaya, Malang, Indonesia
- Malaria Research Group, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Brawijaya, Malang, Indonesia
| | - Agustina Tri Endharti
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Brawijaya, Malang, Indonesia
| | - Hafshah Yasmina Abidah
- Master Program in Biomedical Science, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Brawijaya, Malang, Indonesia
- Medical Doctor Profession Education, Faculty of Medical and Health Science, Maulana Malik Ibrahim State Islamic University, Malang, Indonesia
- Correspondence: Hafshah Yasmina Abidah, Master Program in Biomedical Science, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Brawijaya, Malang, Indonesia, Tel +62 895 397 064 350, Fax +62 341 564755, Email ;
| | - Alif Raudhah Husnul Khotimah
- Master Program in Biomedical Science, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Brawijaya, Malang, Indonesia
- Medical Doctor Profession Education, Faculty of Medical and Health Science, Maulana Malik Ibrahim State Islamic University, Malang, Indonesia
| | - Heni Endrawati
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Brawijaya, Malang, Indonesia
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Tavares W, Morais J, Martins JF, Scalsky RJ, Stabler TC, Medeiros MM, Fortes FJ, Arez AP, Silva JC. Malaria in Angola: recent progress, challenges and future opportunities using parasite demography studies. Malar J 2022; 21:396. [PMID: 36577996 PMCID: PMC9795141 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-022-04424-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2022] [Accepted: 12/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Over the past two decades, a considerable expansion of malaria interventions has occurred at the national level in Angola, together with cross-border initiatives and regional efforts in southern Africa. Currently, Angola aims to consolidate malaria control and to accelerate the transition from control to pre-elimination, along with other country members of the Elimination 8 initiative. However, the tremendous heterogeneity in malaria prevalence among Angolan provinces, as well as internal population movements and migration across borders, represent major challenges for the Angolan National Malaria Control Programme. This review aims to contribute to the understanding of factors underlying the complex malaria situation in Angola and to encourage future research studies on transmission dynamics and population structure of Plasmodium falciparum, important areas to complement host epidemiological information and to help reenergize the goal of malaria elimination in the country.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wilson Tavares
- grid.10772.330000000121511713Global Health and Tropical Medicine, GHTM, Instituto de Higiene E Medicina Tropical, IHMT, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, UNL, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Joana Morais
- Instituto Nacional de Investigação Em Saúde, INIS, Luanda, Angola
| | - José F. Martins
- Programa Nacional de Controlo da Malária, PNCM, Luanda, Angola
| | - Ryan J. Scalsky
- grid.411024.20000 0001 2175 4264Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, USA
| | - Thomas C. Stabler
- grid.416786.a0000 0004 0587 0574Department of Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland ,grid.6612.30000 0004 1937 0642University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Márcia M. Medeiros
- grid.10772.330000000121511713Global Health and Tropical Medicine, GHTM, Instituto de Higiene E Medicina Tropical, IHMT, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, UNL, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Filomeno J. Fortes
- grid.10772.330000000121511713Global Health and Tropical Medicine, GHTM, Instituto de Higiene E Medicina Tropical, IHMT, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, UNL, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Ana Paula Arez
- grid.10772.330000000121511713Global Health and Tropical Medicine, GHTM, Instituto de Higiene E Medicina Tropical, IHMT, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, UNL, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Joana C. Silva
- grid.411024.20000 0001 2175 4264Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, USA ,grid.411024.20000 0001 2175 4264Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, USA
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11
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Mariki M, Mduma N, Mkoba E. Characterisation of Malaria Diagnosis Data in High and Low Endemic Areas of Tanzania. East Afr Health Res J 2022; 6:171-179. [PMID: 36751682 PMCID: PMC9887499 DOI: 10.24248/eahrj.v6i2.696] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2021] [Accepted: 11/25/2022] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Malaria remains a significant cause of morbidity and mortality, especially in the sub-Saharan African region. Malaria is considered preventable and treatable, but in recent years, it has increased outpatient visits, hospitalisation, and deaths worldwide, reaching a 9% prevalence in Tanzania. With the massive number of patient records in the health facilities, this study aims to understand the key characteristics and trends of malaria diagnostic symptoms, testing and treatment data in Tanzania's high and low endemic regions. Methods This study had retrospective and cross-sectional designs. The data were collected from four facilities in two regions in Tanzania, i.e., Morogoro Region (high endemicity) and Kilimanjaro Region (low endemicity). Firstly, malaria patient records were extracted from malaria patients' files from 2015 to 2018. Data collected include (i) the patient's demographic information, (ii) the symptoms presented by the patient when consulting a doctor, (iii) the tests taken and results, (iv) diagnosis based on the laboratory results and (v) the treatment provided. Apart from that, we surveyed patients who visited the health facility with malaria-related symptoms to collect extra information such as travel history and the use of malaria control initiatives such as insecticide-treated nets. A descriptive analysis was generated to identify the frequency of responses. Correlation analysis random effects logistic regression was performed to determine the association between malaria-related symptoms and positivity. Significant differences of p < 0.05 (i.e., a Confidence Interval of 95%) were accepted. Results Of the 2556 records collected, 1527(60%) were from the high endemic area, while 1029(40%) were from the low endemic area. The most observed symptoms were the following: for facilities in high endemic regions was fever followed by headache, vomiting and body pain; for facilities in the low endemic region was high fever, sweating, fatigue and headache. The results showed that males with malaria symptoms had a higher chance of being diagnosed with malaria than females. Most patients with fever had a high probability of being diagnosed with malaria. From the interview, 68% of patients with malaria-related symptoms treated themselves without proper diagnosis. Conclusions Our data indicate that proper malaria diagnosis is a significant concern. The majority still self-medicate with anti-malaria drugs once they experience any malaria-related symptoms. Therefore, future studies should explore this challenge and investigate the potentiality of using malaria diagnosis records to diagnose the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martina Mariki
- Department of Information Communication Science and Engineering, Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology, Arusha, Tanzania
| | - Neema Mduma
- Department of Information Communication Science and Engineering, Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology, Arusha, Tanzania
| | - Elizabeth Mkoba
- Department of Information Communication Science and Engineering, Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology, Arusha, Tanzania
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12
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Sarpong E, Acheampong DO, Fordjour GNR, Anyanful A, Aninagyei E, Tuoyire DA, Blackhurst D, Kyei GB, Ekor M, Thomford NE. Zero malaria: a mirage or reality for populations of sub-Saharan Africa in health transition. Malar J 2022; 21:314. [PMID: 36333802 PMCID: PMC9636766 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-022-04340-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2022] [Accepted: 10/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
The global burden of malaria continues to be a significant public health concern. Despite advances made in therapeutics for malaria, there continues to be high morbidity and mortality associated with this infectious disease. Sub-Saharan Africa continues to be the most affected by the disease, but unfortunately the region is burdened with indigent health systems. With the recent increase in lifestyle diseases, the region is currently in a health transition, complicating the situation by posing a double challenge to the already ailing health sector. In answer to the continuous challenge of malaria, the African Union has started a "zero malaria starts with me” campaign that seeks to personalize malaria prevention and bring it down to the grass-root level. This review discusses the contribution of sub-Saharan Africa, whose population is in a health transition, to malaria elimination. In addition, the review explores the challenges that health systems in these countries face, that may hinder the attainment of a zero-malaria goal.
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Malaria Microscopy Competency in the Subnational Verification, China: Implications for Malaria Elimination and the Prevention of Malaria Reestablishment. THE CANADIAN JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES & MEDICAL MICROBIOLOGY = JOURNAL CANADIEN DES MALADIES INFECTIEUSES ET DE LA MICROBIOLOGIE MEDICALE 2022; 2022:8003845. [PMID: 36349187 PMCID: PMC9637463 DOI: 10.1155/2022/8003845] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2022] [Revised: 09/15/2022] [Accepted: 10/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Qualified microscopy competency is a key indicator for certification of malaria elimination. To better prepare the country certification and identify the priorities that need improvement to prevent malaria reestablishment, microscopy competency at different levels were assessed in subnational verification of malaria elimination in China. Methodology. Microscopist representatives from centers for disease control and prevention (CDC)/institutes of parasitic diseases (IPD) and medical institutes for malaria diagnosis at the provincial and county levels in the subnational verification were analyzed. Specifically, five provincial microscopist representatives and ten county-level representatives were assessed in each of previously endemic provinces on qualitative identification (Plasmodium positive or negative) and Plasmodium species identification using standard slides from the National Malaria Diagnosis Reference Laboratory. RESULTS A total of 100 provincial-level representatives (60 from 42 CDCs/IPDs and 40 from 34 medical institutes) and 200 county-level representatives (61 from 41 CDCs and 139 from 118 medical institutes) were included. The qualitative accuracy was higher than 90% each (P = 0.137), but slides with low parasite density were easy to be misdiagnosed as negative. Furthermore, the accuracy of species identification was 80.0% and 83.6% in medical institutes and centers for disease control and prevention (CDCs) at the provincial level (P = 0.407) with relatively high misdiagnosis of P. vivax as P. ovale in the latter (16.2%) and 82.0% and 85.0% in medical institutes and CDCs at the county level (P = 0.330) for the identification of P. falciparum and non-P. falciparum with higher false-negative in medical institutions (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS In conclusion, competent microscopy in subnational verification supported the quality in eliminating malaria in China, while the accurate identification of malaria parasites, especially slides with low parasite density still need to be improved through continuous diagnostic platform construction, continuous technological innovation, and targeted training to prevent reestablishment of malaria transmission.
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14
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Madewell ZJ, Whitney CG, Velaphi S, Mutevedzi P, Mahtab S, Madhi SA, Fritz A, Swaray-Deen A, Sesay T, Ogbuanu IU, Mannah MT, Xerinda EG, Sitoe A, Mandomando I, Bassat Q, Ajanovic S, Tapia MD, Sow SO, Mehta A, Kotloff KL, Keita AM, Tippett Barr BA, Onyango D, Oele E, Igunza KA, Agaya J, Akelo V, Scott JAG, Madrid L, Kelil YE, Dufera T, Assefa N, Gurley ES, El Arifeen S, Spotts Whitney EA, Seib K, Rees CA, Blau DM. Prioritizing Health Care Strategies to Reduce Childhood Mortality. JAMA Netw Open 2022; 5:e2237689. [PMID: 36269354 PMCID: PMC9587481 DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.37689] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Although child mortality trends have decreased worldwide, deaths among children younger than 5 years of age remain high and disproportionately circumscribed to sub-Saharan Africa and Southern Asia. Tailored and innovative approaches are needed to increase access, coverage, and quality of child health care services to reduce mortality, but an understanding of health system deficiencies that may have the greatest impact on mortality among children younger than 5 years is lacking. OBJECTIVE To investigate which health care and public health improvements could have prevented the most stillbirths and deaths in children younger than 5 years using data from the Child Health and Mortality Prevention Surveillance (CHAMPS) network. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS This cross-sectional study used longitudinal, population-based, and mortality surveillance data collected by CHAMPS to understand preventable causes of death. Overall, 3390 eligible deaths across all 7 CHAMPS sites (Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mali, Mozambique, Sierra Leone, and South Africa) between December 9, 2016, and December 31, 2021 (1190 stillbirths, 1340 neonatal deaths, 860 infant and child deaths), were included. Deaths were investigated using minimally invasive tissue sampling (MITS), a postmortem approach using biopsy needles for sampling key organs and fluids. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES For each death, an expert multidisciplinary panel reviewed case data to determine the plausible pathway and causes of death. If the death was deemed preventable, the panel identified which of 10 predetermined health system gaps could have prevented the death. The health system improvements that could have prevented the most deaths were evaluated for each age group: stillbirths, neonatal deaths (aged <28 days), and infant and child deaths (aged 1 month to <5 years). RESULTS Of 3390 deaths, 1505 (44.4%) were female and 1880 (55.5%) were male; sex was not recorded for 5 deaths. Of all deaths, 3045 (89.8%) occurred in a healthcare facility and 344 (11.9%) in the community. Overall, 2607 (76.9%) were deemed potentially preventable: 883 of 1190 stillbirths (74.2%), 1010 of 1340 neonatal deaths (75.4%), and 714 of 860 infant and child deaths (83.0%). Recommended measures to prevent deaths were improvements in antenatal and obstetric care (recommended for 588 of 1190 stillbirths [49.4%], 496 of 1340 neonatal deaths [37.0%]), clinical management and quality of care (stillbirths, 280 [23.5%]; neonates, 498 [37.2%]; infants and children, 393 of 860 [45.7%]), health-seeking behavior (infants and children, 237 [27.6%]), and health education (infants and children, 262 [30.5%]). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE In this cross-sectional study, interventions prioritizing antenatal, intrapartum, and postnatal care could have prevented the most deaths among children younger than 5 years because 75% of deaths among children younger than 5 were stillbirths and neonatal deaths. Measures to reduce mortality in this population should prioritize improving existing systems, such as better access to antenatal care, implementation of standardized clinical protocols, and public education campaigns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary J. Madewell
- Center for Global Health, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
| | | | - Sithembiso Velaphi
- Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital, School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Portia Mutevedzi
- South African Medical Research Council Vaccines and Infectious Diseases Analytics Research Unit, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Sana Mahtab
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Ghana Medical School, Accra, Ghana
| | - Shabir A. Madhi
- South African Medical Research Council Vaccines and Infectious Diseases Analytics Research Unit, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Ashleigh Fritz
- South African Medical Research Council Vaccines and Infectious Diseases Analytics Research Unit, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Alim Swaray-Deen
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Ghana Medical School, Accra, Ghana
| | - Tom Sesay
- Ministry of Health and Sanitation, Freetown, Sierra Leone
| | | | | | | | - Antonio Sitoe
- Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça, Maputo, Mozambique
| | - Inacio Mandomando
- Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça, Maputo, Mozambique
- Instituto Nacional de Saúde, Maputo, Mozambique
| | - Quique Bassat
- Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça, Maputo, Mozambique
- ISGlobal–Hospital Clínic, Unversitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institutó Catalana de Recerca I Estudis Avançats, Barcelona, Spain
- Pediatrics Department, Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, Universitat de Barcelona, Esplugues, Barcelona, Spain
- Consorcio de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Epidemiología y Salud Pública, Madrid, Spain
| | - Sara Ajanovic
- Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça, Maputo, Mozambique
- ISGlobal–Hospital Clínic, Unversitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Milagritos D. Tapia
- Department of Pediatrics and Department of Medicine, Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore
| | - Samba O. Sow
- Centre pour le Développement des Vaccins, Ministère de la Santé, Bamako, Mali
| | - Ashka Mehta
- Department of Pediatrics and Department of Medicine, Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore
| | - Karen L. Kotloff
- Department of Pediatrics and Department of Medicine, Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore
| | - Adama M. Keita
- Centre pour le Développement des Vaccins, Ministère de la Santé, Bamako, Mali
| | | | | | | | | | - Janet Agaya
- Kenya Medical Research Institute-Center for Global Health Research, Kisumu, Kenya
| | - Victor Akelo
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention–Kenya, Kisumu, Kenya
| | - J. Anthony G. Scott
- Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Lola Madrid
- Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
- College of Health and Medical Sciences, Haramaya University, Harar, Ethiopia
| | - Yunus-Edris Kelil
- College of Health and Medical Sciences, Haramaya University, Harar, Ethiopia
| | - Tadesse Dufera
- College of Health and Medical Sciences, Haramaya University, Harar, Ethiopia
| | - Nega Assefa
- College of Health and Medical Sciences, Haramaya University, Harar, Ethiopia
| | - Emily S. Gurley
- International Center for Diarrhoeal Diseases Research, Dhaka, Bangladesh
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Shams El Arifeen
- International Center for Diarrhoeal Diseases Research, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Ellen A. Spotts Whitney
- International Association of National Public Health Institutes, Global Health Institute, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Katherine Seib
- International Association of National Public Health Institutes, Global Health Institute, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Chris A. Rees
- Division of Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Dianna M. Blau
- Center for Global Health, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
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Predicting Plasmodium falciparum infection status in blood using a multiplexed bead-based antigen detection assay and machine learning approaches. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0275096. [PMID: 36174056 PMCID: PMC9521833 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0275096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2021] [Accepted: 09/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background
Plasmodium blood-stage infections can be identified by assaying for protein products expressed by the parasites. While the binary result of an antigen test is sufficient for a clinical result, greater nuance can be gathered for malaria infection status based on quantitative and sensitive detection of Plasmodium antigens and machine learning analytical approaches.
Methods
Three independent malaria studies performed in Angola and Haiti enrolled persons at health facilities and collected a blood sample. Presence and parasite density of P. falciparum infection was determined by microscopy for a study in Angola in 2015 (n = 193), by qRT-PCR for a 2016 study in Angola (n = 208), and by qPCR for a 2012–2013 Haiti study (n = 425). All samples also had bead-based detection and quantification of three Plasmodium antigens: pAldolase, pLDH, and HRP2. Decision trees and principal component analysis (PCA) were conducted in attempt to categorize P. falciparum parasitemia density status based on continuous antigen concentrations.
Results
Conditional inference trees were trained using the known P. falciparum infection status and corresponding antigen concentrations, and PCR infection status was predicted with accuracies ranging from 73–96%, while level of parasite density was predicted with accuracies ranging from 59–72%. Multiple decision nodes were created for both pAldolase and HRP2 antigens. For all datasets, dichotomous infectious status was more accurately predicted when compared to categorization of different levels of parasite densities. PCA was able to account for a high level of variance (>80%), and distinct clustering was found in both dichotomous and categorical infection status.
Conclusions
This pilot study offers a proof-of-principle of the utility of machine learning approaches to assess P. falciparum infection status based on continuous concentrations of multiple Plasmodium antigens.
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Wu N. Governance Quality, Public Health, Education, and Innovation: Study for Novel Implications. Front Public Health 2022; 10:940036. [PMID: 35875001 PMCID: PMC9301235 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.940036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2022] [Accepted: 05/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Pandemic or worldwide disease is the greatest issue of all time that not only affects human health but also influences the economic, educational, and other activities of the countries, since malaria is among the leading health disease that disrupts the economic system of the country. Therefore, this study aimed to analyze whether educational expenditure and technological innovation influence malarial incidence in emerging economies. This study also examined the role of government effectiveness, government health expenditure, gross domestic growth, human capital, and research and development during the period 2000-2018. Employing panel data approaches, including the slope heterogeneity and cross-sectional dependence, the second-generation unit root test reveals the stationarity of all variables. The study also validated the existence of a long-run relationship between the variables. Based on the asymmetrical distribution properties, this study employed the quantile regression approach. The empirical results asserted that education and technological innovation significantly reduce malarial incidents in the panel economies. Also, government effectiveness, research and development, and human capital adversely affect incidences of malaria. In contrast, gross domestic product is the only factor found that increases malarial incidents during the selected period. Based on the empirical results, this study suggested policy measures that could benefit the governors, policymakers, and scholars.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ning Wu
- School of Journalism and Communication, Hubei University, Wuhan, China
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17
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Comparison of Rapid Diagnostic Test, Microscopy, and Polymerase Chain Reaction for the Detection of Plasmodium falciparum Malaria in a Low-Transmission Area, Jazan Region, Southwestern Saudi Arabia. Diagnostics (Basel) 2022; 12:diagnostics12061485. [PMID: 35741295 PMCID: PMC9222139 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics12061485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Revised: 06/11/2022] [Accepted: 06/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
This cross-sectional study aimed to assess the performances of a rapid diagnostic test (RDT)—the AllTest Malaria p.f./p.v., microscopy, and nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for diagnosing Plasmodium falciparum malaria in 400 febrile patients from a low-transmission region (Jazan) in southwestern Saudi Arabia. Diagnostic performance of all three methods was compared using microscopy and nested PCR as reference methods. Overall, 42 (10.5%), 48 (12.0%), and 57 (14.3%) samples were found positive by microscopy, RDT, and PCR, respectively. With PCR as reference method, the RDT showed higher sensitivity (79% vs. 71.9%), similar specificity (99.1% vs. 99.7%), and better NLR (0.20 vs. 0.27) and area under the curve (89.0% vs. 85.8%) than microscopy. The sensitivity of RDT and microscopy decreased as age increased, and false negatives were associated with low parasite density. In addition, the sensitivity of RDT and microscopy was higher in non-Saudi than in Saudi participants. Against microscopy, both RDT and PCR showed high sensitivity (83.3% vs. 97.6%), specificity (96.4% vs. 95.5%), and NPVs (98.0% vs. 99.7%), but reduced PPVs (72.9% vs. 71.9%), respectively. The results showed that the performance of the AllTest Malaria p.f./p.v RDT was better than that of microscopy in diagnosing P. falciparum malaria among febrile patients in the Jazan region when nested PCR was used as the reference. However, further studies are required to assess malaria diagnostic methods among asymptomatic individuals in the region.
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18
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Rae JD, Nosten S, Kajeechiwa L, Wiladphaingern J, Parker DM, Landier J, Thu AM, Dah H, Be A, Cho WC, Paw K, Paw ES, Shee PB, Poe C, Nu C, Nyaw B, Simpson JA, Devine A, Maude RJ, Moo KL, Min MC, Thwin MM, Tun SW, Nosten FH. Surveillance to achieve malaria elimination in eastern Myanmar: a 7-year observational study. Malar J 2022; 21:175. [PMID: 35672747 PMCID: PMC9171744 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-022-04175-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2022] [Accepted: 05/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The collection and utilization of surveillance data is essential in monitoring progress towards achieving malaria elimination, in the timely response to increases in malaria case numbers and in the assessment of programme functioning. This paper describes the surveillance activities used by the malaria elimination task force (METF) programme which operates in eastern Myanmar, and provides an analysis of data collected from weekly surveillance, case investigations, and monitoring and evaluation of programme performance. Methods This retrospective analysis was conducted using data collected from a network of 1250 malaria posts operational between 2014 and 2021. To investigate changes in data completeness, malaria post performance, malaria case numbers, and the demographic details of malaria cases, summary statistics were used to compare data collected over space and time. Results In the first 3 years of the METF programme, improvements in data transmission routes resulted in a 18.9% reduction in late reporting, allowing for near real-time analysis of data collected at the malaria posts. In 2020, travel restrictions were in place across Karen State in response to COVID-19, and from February 2021 the military coup in Myanmar resulted in widescale population displacement. However, over that period there has been no decline in malaria post attendance, and the majority of consultations continue to occur within 48 h of fever onset. Case investigations found that 43.8% of cases travelled away from their resident village in the 3 weeks prior to diagnosis and 36.3% reported never using a bed net whilst sleeping in their resident village, which increased to 72.2% when sleeping away from their resident village. Malaria post assessments performed in 82.3% of the METF malaria posts found malaria posts generally performed to a high standard. Conclusions Surveillance data collected by the METF programme demonstrate that despite significant changes in the context in which the programme operates, malaria posts have remained accessible and continue to provide early diagnosis and treatment contributing to an 89.3% decrease in Plasmodium falciparum incidence between 2014 and 2021. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12936-022-04175-w.
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Oyegoke OO, Maharaj L, Akoniyon OP, Kwoji I, Roux AT, Adewumi TS, Maharaj R, Oyebola BT, Adeleke MA, Okpeku M. Malaria diagnostic methods with the elimination goal in view. Parasitol Res 2022; 121:1867-1885. [PMID: 35460369 PMCID: PMC9033523 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-022-07512-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2021] [Accepted: 04/01/2022] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Malaria control measures have been in use for years but have not completely curbed the spread of infection. Ultimately, global elimination is the goal. A major playmaker in the various approaches to reaching the goal is the issue of proper diagnosis. Various diagnostic techniques were adopted in different regions and geographical locations over the decades, and these have invariably produced diverse outcomes. In this review, we looked at the various approaches used in malaria diagnostics with a focus on methods favorably used during pre-elimination and elimination phases as well as in endemic regions. Microscopy, rapid diagnostic testing (RDT), loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP), and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) are common methods applied depending on prevailing factors, each with its strengths and limitations. As the drive toward the elimination goal intensifies, the search for ideal, simple, fast, and reliable point-of-care diagnostic tools is needed more than ever before to be used in conjunction with a functional surveillance system supported by the ideal vaccine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olukunle O Oyegoke
- Discipline of Genetics School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville, Durban, South Africa
| | - Leah Maharaj
- Discipline of Genetics School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville, Durban, South Africa
| | - Oluwasegun P Akoniyon
- Discipline of Genetics School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville, Durban, South Africa
| | - Illiya Kwoji
- Discipline of Genetics School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville, Durban, South Africa
| | - Alexandra T Roux
- Discipline of Genetics School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville, Durban, South Africa
| | - Taiye S Adewumi
- Discipline of Genetics School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville, Durban, South Africa
| | - Rajendra Maharaj
- Office of Malaria Research, Medical Research Council, Durban, South Africa
| | | | - Matthew A Adeleke
- Discipline of Genetics School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville, Durban, South Africa
| | - Moses Okpeku
- Discipline of Genetics School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville, Durban, South Africa.
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Galindo MS, Lambert Y, Mutricy L, Garancher L, Miller JB, Gomes JH, Sanna A, Peterka C, Cairo H, Hiwat H, Adenis A, Nacher M, Suárez-Mutis MC, Vreden S, Douine M. Implementation of a novel malaria management strategy based on self-testing and self-treatment in remote areas in the Amazon (Malakit): confronting a-priori assumptions with reality. BMC Public Health 2022; 22:770. [PMID: 35428230 PMCID: PMC9012048 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-022-12801-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2021] [Accepted: 02/18/2022] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Background A novel strategy to combat malaria was tested using a methodology adapted to a complex setting in the Amazon region and a hard-to-reach, mobile community. The intervention strategy tested was the distribution, after training, of malaria self-management kits to gold miners who cross the Surinamese and Brazilian borders with French Guiana to work illegally in the remote mining sites in the forest of this French overseas entity. Main text This article aims at presenting all process and implementation outcomes following the Conceptual Framework of Implementation Fidelity i.e. adherence, including content and exposure, and moderators, comprising participant responsiveness, quality of delivery, facilitation strategies, and context. The information sources are the post-intervention survey, data collected longitudinally during the intervention, a qualitative study, data collected during an outreach mission to a remote gold mining site, supervisory visit reports, in-depth feedback from the project implementers, and videos self-recorded by facilitators based on opened ended questions. As expected, being part of or close to the study community was an essential condition to enable deliverers, referred to as “facilitators”, to overcome the usual wariness of this gold mining population. Overall, the content of the intervention was in line with what was planned. With an estimated one third of the population reached, exposure was satisfactory considering the challenging context, but improvable by increasing ad hoc off-site distribution according to needs. Participant responsiveness was the main strength of the intervention, but could be enhanced by reducing the duration of the process to get a kit, which could be disincentive in some places. Regarding the quality of delivery, the main issue was the excess of information provided to participants rather than a lack of information, but this was corrected over time. The expected decrease in malaria incidence became a source of reduced interest in the kit. Expanding the scope of facilitators’ responsibilities could be a suitable response. Better articulation with existing malaria management services is recommended to ensure sustainability. Conclusions These findings supplement the evaluation outcomes for assessing the relevance of the strategy and provide useful information to perpetuate and transfer it in comparable contexts. Trial registration
ClinicalTrials.gov. NCT03695770. 10/02/2018 “Retrospectively registered”. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12889-022-12801-0.
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Pradhan MM, Pradhan S, Dutta A, Shah NK, Valecha N, Joshi PL, Pradhan K, Grewal Daumerie P, Banerji J, Duparc S, Mendis K, Sharma SK, Murugasampillay S, Anvikar AR. Impact of the malaria comprehensive case management programme in Odisha, India. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0265352. [PMID: 35324920 PMCID: PMC8947122 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0265352] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2021] [Accepted: 02/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background
The Comprehensive Case Management Project (CCMP), was a collaborative implementation research initiative to strengthen malaria early detection and complete treatment in Odisha State, India.
Methods
A two-arm quasi-experimental design was deployed across four districts in Odisha, representing a range of malaria endemicity: Bolangir (low), Dhenkanal (moderate), Angul (high), and Kandhamal (hyper). In each district, a control block received routine malaria control measures, whereas a CCMP block received a range of interventions to intensify surveillance, diagnosis, and case management. Impact was evaluated by difference-in-difference (DID) analysis and interrupted time-series (ITS) analysis of monthly blood examination rate (MBER) and monthly parasite index (MPI) over three phases: phase 1 pre-CCMP (2009–2012) phase 2 CCMP intervention (2013–2015), and phase 3 post-CCMP (2016–2017).
Results
During CCMP implementation, adjusting for control blocks, DID and ITS analysis indicated a 25% increase in MBER and a 96% increase in MPI, followed by a –47% decline in MPI post-CCMP, though MBER was maintained. Level changes in MPI between phases 1 and 2 were most marked in Dhenkanal and Angul with increases of 976% and 287%, respectively, but declines in Bolangir (−57%) and Kandhamal (−22%). Between phase 2 and phase 3, despite the MBER remaining relatively constant, substantial decreases in MPI were observed in Dhenkanal (−78%), and Angul (−59%), with a more modest decline in Bolangir (−13%), and an increase in Kandhamal (14%).
Conclusions
Overall, CCMP improved malaria early detection and treatment through the enhancement of the existing network of malaria services which positively impacted case incidence in three districts. In Kandhamal, which is hyperendemic, the impact was not evident. However, in Dhenkanal and Angul, areas of moderate-to-high malaria endemicity, CCMP interventions precipitated a dramatic increase in case detection and a subsequent decline in malaria incidence, particularly in previously difficult-to-reach communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madan M. Pradhan
- National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme, Government of Odisha, Bhubaneswar, India
- * E-mail:
| | - Sreya Pradhan
- National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme, Government of Odisha, Bhubaneswar, India
| | - Ambarish Dutta
- Indian Institute of Public Health, Bhubaneswar, India
- Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology, Deemed to be University, Bhubaneswar, India
| | - Naman K. Shah
- University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Neena Valecha
- National Institute of Malaria Research, New Delhi, India
| | - Pyare L. Joshi
- Independent Malariologist, Gallup, Washington, D.C., United States of America
| | | | | | - Jaya Banerji
- Medicines for Malaria Venture, Geneva, Switzerland
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22
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Mukabane KD, Kitungulu NL, Ogutu PA, Cheruiyot JK, Tavasi NS, Mulama DH. Bed net use and malaria treatment-seeking behavior in artisanal gold mining and sugarcane growing areas of Western Kenya highlands. SCIENTIFIC AFRICAN 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.sciaf.2022.e01140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
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23
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Manirakiza G, Kassaza K, Taremwa IM, Bazira J, Byarugaba F. Molecular identification and anti-malarial drug resistance profile of Plasmodium falciparum from patients attending Kisoro Hospital, southwestern Uganda. Malar J 2022; 21:21. [PMID: 35033082 PMCID: PMC8761270 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-021-04023-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2021] [Accepted: 12/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The evolution of malaria infection has necessitated the development of highly sensitive diagnostic assays, as well as the use of dried blood spots (DBS) as a potential source of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) yield for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays. This study identified the different Plasmodium species in malaria-positive patients, and the anti-malarial drug resistance profile for Plasmodium falciparum using DBS samples collected from patients attending Kisoro Hospital in Kisoro district, Southwestern Uganda. Methods The blood samples were prospectively collected from patients diagnosed with malaria to make DBS, which were then used to extract DNA for real-time PCR and high-resolution melting (HRM) analysis. Plasmodium species were identified by comparing the control and test samples using HRM-PCR derivative curves. Plasmodium falciparum chloroquine (CQ) resistance transporter (pfcrt) and kelch13 to screen the samples for anti-malarial resistance markers. The HRM-PCR derivative curve was used to present a summary distribution of the different Plasmodium species as well as the anti-malarial drug profile. Results Of the 152 participants sampled, 98 (64.5%) were females. The average age of the participants was 34.9 years (range: 2 months–81 years). There were 134 samples that showed PCR amplification, confirming the species as Plasmodium. Plasmodium falciparum (N = 122), Plasmodium malariae (N = 6), Plasmodium ovale (N = 4), and Plasmodium vivax (N = 2) were the various Plasmodium species and their proportions. The results showed that 87 (71.3%) of the samples were sensitive strains/wild type (CVMNK), 4 (3.3%) were resistant haplotypes (SVMNT), and 31 (25.4%) were resistant haplotypes (CVIET). Kelch13 C580Y mutation was not detected. Conclusion The community served by Kisoro hospital has a high Plasmodium species burden, according to this study. Plasmodium falciparum was the dominant species, and it has shown that resistance to chloroquine is decreasing in the region. Based on this, molecular identification of Plasmodium species is critical for better clinical management. Besides, DBS is an appropriate medium for DNA preservation and storage for future epidemiological studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Godfrey Manirakiza
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Mbarara, Uganda.
| | - Kennedy Kassaza
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Mbarara, Uganda
| | - Ivan Mugisha Taremwa
- Institute of Allied Health Sciences, Clarke International University, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Joel Bazira
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Mbarara, Uganda
| | - Fredrick Byarugaba
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Mbarara, Uganda
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Li G, Zhang D, Chen Z, Feng D, Cai X, Chen X, Tang S, Feng Z. Risk factors for the accuracy of the initial diagnosis of malaria cases in China: a decision-tree modelling approach. Malar J 2022; 21:11. [PMID: 34991610 PMCID: PMC8740495 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-021-04006-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2021] [Accepted: 12/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Early accurate diagnosis and risk assessment for malaria are crucial for improving patients’ terminal prognosis and preventing them from progressing to a severe or critical stage. This study aims to describe the accuracy of the initial diagnosis of malaria cases with different characteristics and the factors that affect the accuracy in the context of the agenda for a world free of malaria. Methods A retrospective study was conducted on 494 patients admitted to hospitals with a diagnosis of malaria from January 2014 through December 2016. Descriptive statistics were calculated, and decision tree analysis was performed to predict the probability of patients who may be misdiagnosed. Results Of the 494 patients included in this study, the proportions of patients seeking care in county-level, prefecture-level and provincial-level hospitals were 27.5% (n = 136), 26.3% (n = 130) and 8.3% (n = 41), respectively; the proportions of patients seeking care in clinic, township health centre and Centres for Disease Control and Prevention were 25.9% (n = 128), 4.1% (n = 20), and 7.9% (n = 39), respectively. Nearly 60% of malaria patients were misdiagnosed on their first visit, and 18.8% had complications. The median time from onset to the first visit was 2 days (IQR: 0-3 days), and the median time from the first visit to diagnosis was 3 days (IQR: 0–4 days). The decision tree classification of malaria patients being misdiagnosed consisted of six categorical variables: healthcare facilities for the initial diagnosis, time interval between onset and initial diagnosis, region, residence type, insurance status, and age. Conclusions Insufficient diagnostic capacity of healthcare facilities with lower administrative levels for the first visit was the most important risk factor in misdiagnosing patients. To reduce diagnostic errors, clinicians, government decision-makers and communities should consider strengthening the primary care facilities, the time interval between onset and initial diagnosis, residence type, and health insurance status.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gang Li
- School of Medicine and Health Management, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 430030, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Donglan Zhang
- Department of Health Policy and Management, College of Public Health, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
| | - Zhuo Chen
- Department of Health Policy and Management, College of Public Health, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA.,School of Economics, University of Nottingham Ningbo China, Ningbo, 531200, Zhejiang, China
| | - Da Feng
- School of Pharmacy, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei, China
| | - Xinyan Cai
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
| | - Xiaoyu Chen
- School of Medicine and Health Management, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 430030, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Shangfeng Tang
- School of Medicine and Health Management, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 430030, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Zhanchun Feng
- School of Medicine and Health Management, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 430030, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
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25
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Toh KB, Millar J, Psychas P, Abuaku B, Ahorlu C, Oppong S, Koram K, Valle D. Guiding placement of health facilities using multiple malaria criteria and an interactive tool. Malar J 2021; 20:455. [PMID: 34861874 PMCID: PMC8641186 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-021-03991-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2021] [Accepted: 11/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Access to healthcare is important in controlling malaria burden and, as a result, distance or travel time to health facilities is often a significant predictor in modelling malaria prevalence. Adding new health facilities may reduce overall travel time to health facilities and may decrease malaria transmission. To help guide local decision-makers as they scale up community-based accessibility, the influence of the spatial allocation of new health facilities on malaria prevalence is evaluated in Bunkpurugu-Yunyoo district in northern Ghana. A location-allocation analysis is performed to find optimal locations of new health facilities by separately minimizing three district-wide objectives: malaria prevalence, malaria incidence, and average travel time to health facilities. METHODS Generalized additive models was used to estimate the relationship between malaria prevalence and travel time to the nearest health facility and other geospatial covariates. The model predictions are then used to calculate the optimisation criteria for the location-allocation analysis. This analysis was performed for two scenarios: adding new health facilities to the existing ones, and a hypothetical scenario in which the community-based healthcare facilities would be allocated anew. An interactive web application was created to facilitate efficient presentation of this analysis and allow users to experiment with their choice of health facility location and optimisation criteria. RESULTS Using malaria prevalence and travel time as optimisation criteria, two locations that would benefit from new health facilities were identified, regardless of scenarios. Due to the non-linear relationship between malaria incidence and prevalence, the optimal locations chosen based on the incidence criterion tended to be inequitable and was different from those based on the other optimisation criteria. CONCLUSIONS This study findings underscore the importance of using multiple optimisation criteria in the decision-making process. This analysis and the interactive application can be repurposed for other regions and criteria, bridging the gap between science, models and decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kok Ben Toh
- School of Natural Resources and Environment, University of Florida, Gainesville, USA.
| | - Justin Millar
- School of Forest, Fisheries, and Geomatics Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, USA
| | - Paul Psychas
- Centers for Disease Control, US President's Malaria Initiative, Atlanta, USA
| | - Benjamin Abuaku
- Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana
| | - Collins Ahorlu
- Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana
| | | | - Kwadwo Koram
- Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana
| | - Denis Valle
- School of Forest, Fisheries, and Geomatics Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, USA
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26
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Rae JD, Landier J, Simpson JA, Proux S, Devine A, Maude RJ, Thu AM, Wiladphaingern J, Kajeechiwa L, Thwin MM, Tun SW, Nosten FH. Longitudinal trends in malaria testing rates in the face of elimination in eastern Myanmar: a 7-year observational study. BMC Public Health 2021; 21:1725. [PMID: 34551751 PMCID: PMC8459519 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-021-11749-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2021] [Accepted: 09/07/2021] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Providing at-risk communities with uninterrupted access to early diagnosis and treatment is a key component in reducing malaria transmission and achieving elimination. As programmes approach malaria elimination targets it is critical that each case is tested and treated early, which may present a challenge when the burden of malaria is reduced. In this paper we investigate whether malaria testing rates decline over time and assess the impacts of integrating malaria and non-malaria services on testing rates in the malaria elimination task force (METF) programme in the Kayin state of Myanmar. METHODS A retrospective analysis was conducted using weekly collected data on testing rates from a network of more than 1200 malaria posts during the period from 2014 to 2020. To determine whether monthly testing rates changed over the years of programme operations, and whether integrating malaria and non-malaria services impacted these testing rates, we fitted negative binomial mixed-effects regression models to aggregate monthly data, accounting for malaria seasonal variation. RESULTS In the first year of malaria post operation, testing rates declined, correlating with a decline in attendance by people from outside the malaria post catchment area, but then remained fairly constant (the Rate Ratio (RR) for 2nd versus 1st year open ranged from 0.68 to 0.84 across the four townships included in the analysis, the RR for 3rd to 6th year versus 1st year open were similar, ranging from 0.59-0.78). The implementation of a training programme, which was intended to expand the role of the malaria post workers, had minimal impact on testing rates up to 24 months after training was delivered (RR for integrated versus malaria-only services ranged from 1.00 to 1.07 across METF townships). CONCLUSION Despite the decline in malaria incidence from 2014 to 2020, there has been no decline in the malaria testing rate in the METF programme after the establishment of the complete malaria post network in 2016. While the integration of malaria posts with other health services provides benefits to the population, our evaluation questions the necessity of integrated services in maintaining malaria testing rates in areas approaching elimination of malaria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jade D Rae
- Shoklo Malaria Research Unit (SMRU), Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit (MORU), Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Mae Sot, Thailand. .,Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit (MORU), Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand. .,Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
| | - Jordi Landier
- IRD (Institut de Recherche pour le Developpement), Aix Marseille Univ, INSERM, SESSTIM, Marseille, France
| | - Julie A Simpson
- Centre for Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Stéphane Proux
- Shoklo Malaria Research Unit (SMRU), Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit (MORU), Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Mae Sot, Thailand
| | - Angela Devine
- Centre for Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.,Global and Tropical Health Division, Menzies School of Health Research, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Australia
| | - Richard J Maude
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit (MORU), Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.,Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.,Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, Boston, USA.,The Open University, Milton Keynes, UK
| | - Aung Myint Thu
- Shoklo Malaria Research Unit (SMRU), Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit (MORU), Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Mae Sot, Thailand
| | - Jacher Wiladphaingern
- Shoklo Malaria Research Unit (SMRU), Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit (MORU), Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Mae Sot, Thailand
| | - Ladda Kajeechiwa
- Shoklo Malaria Research Unit (SMRU), Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit (MORU), Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Mae Sot, Thailand
| | - May Myo Thwin
- Shoklo Malaria Research Unit (SMRU), Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit (MORU), Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Mae Sot, Thailand
| | - Saw Win Tun
- Shoklo Malaria Research Unit (SMRU), Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit (MORU), Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Mae Sot, Thailand
| | - François H Nosten
- Shoklo Malaria Research Unit (SMRU), Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit (MORU), Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Mae Sot, Thailand.,Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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Gimenez AM, Marques RF, Regiart M, Bargieri DY. Diagnostic Methods for Non-Falciparum Malaria. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2021; 11:681063. [PMID: 34222049 PMCID: PMC8248680 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2021.681063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2021] [Accepted: 05/31/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Malaria is a serious public health problem that affects mostly the poorest countries in the world, killing more than 400,000 people per year, mainly children under 5 years old. Among the control and prevention strategies, the differential diagnosis of the Plasmodium-infecting species is an important factor for selecting a treatment and, consequently, for preventing the spread of the disease. One of the main difficulties for the detection of a specific Plasmodium sp is that most of the existing methods for malaria diagnosis focus on detecting P. falciparum. Thus, in many cases, the diagnostic methods neglect the other non-falciparum species and underestimate their prevalence and severity. Traditional methods for diagnosing malaria may present low specificity or sensitivity to non-falciparum spp. Therefore, there is high demand for new alternative methods able to differentiate Plasmodium species in a faster, cheaper and easier manner to execute. This review details the classical procedures and new perspectives of diagnostic methods for malaria non-falciparum differential detection and the possibilities of their application in different circumstances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alba Marina Gimenez
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Rodolfo F. Marques
- Department of Clinical and Toxicological Analyses, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Matías Regiart
- Department of Fundamental Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Daniel Youssef Bargieri
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
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Tetteh M, Dwomoh D, Asamoah A, Kupeh EK, Malm K, Nonvignon J. Impact of malaria diagnostic refresher training programme on competencies and skills in malaria diagnosis among medical laboratory professionals: evidence from Ghana 2015-2019. Malar J 2021; 20:255. [PMID: 34103068 PMCID: PMC8186098 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-021-03796-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2021] [Accepted: 06/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The quality of malaria test results is crucial for optimal patient treatment and care. The Ghana Health Service is successfully shifting from presumptive clinical diagnosis and treatment of malaria to the Test, Treat and Track (T3) initiative. In line with the initiative, the National Malaria Control Programme (NMCP) set out to improve the capacity of medical laboratory professionals in Ghana through a five-day Malaria Diagnostic Refresher Training (MDRT) to build competencies and skills in malaria diagnosis, especially in the three components of microscopy: parasite detection, species identification and parasite quantification. This study evaluates the impact of the training on malaria microscopy. Methods The training which was based on the World Health Organization basic malaria microscopy training guide employed presentations and practical approaches to malaria diagnosis. A total number of 765 medical laboratory professionals from various health facilities across the country were trained every other year from 2015 to 2019 and were included in this evaluation. Evaluation of this training was done using pre-test and post-test microscopy scores. The Negative Binomial fixed effect model was used in determining the overall effect of the training in improving the competencies of the participants on malaria microscopy. Results The ability of the medical laboratory professionals to correctly detect malaria parasites increased significantly from a median score of 64% prior to the training to 87% after the training (p < 0.001). The competencies of the medical laboratory scientists to correctly identify malaria parasite species and quantify the number of malaria parasites increased significantly from a median score of 17% and 20% pre-test to 78% and 50% post-test, respectively (p < 0.001). The results showed that participants’ competency level and skill to perform malaria microscopy (species identification, parasite quantification and detection of malaria parasites) increased by approximately two folds after the training compared to the no-training scenario (adjusted rate ratio = 2.07, 95% CI 2.01–2.13, p < 0.001). Conclusion The MDRT programme significantly improved participants’ performance of malaria microscopy over a short period of time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary Tetteh
- Department of Health Policy, Planning and Management, School of Public Health, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana.,Ghana Health Service, District Hospital, Begoro, Ghana
| | - Duah Dwomoh
- Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana
| | - Alexander Asamoah
- Ghana National Malaria Control Programme, Ghana Health Service, Accra, Ghana
| | | | - Keziah Malm
- Ghana National Malaria Control Programme, Ghana Health Service, Accra, Ghana
| | - Justice Nonvignon
- Department of Health Policy, Planning and Management, School of Public Health, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana. .,Health Economics, Systems and Policy Research Group, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana.
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Nekorchuk DM, Gebrehiwot T, Lake M, Awoke W, Mihretie A, Wimberly MC. Comparing malaria early detection methods in a declining transmission setting in northwestern Ethiopia. BMC Public Health 2021; 21:788. [PMID: 33894764 PMCID: PMC8067323 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-021-10850-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2020] [Accepted: 04/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Despite remarkable progress in the reduction of malaria incidence, this disease remains a public health threat to a significant portion of the world’s population. Surveillance, combined with early detection algorithms, can be an effective intervention strategy to inform timely public health responses to potential outbreaks. Our main objective was to compare the potential for detecting malaria outbreaks by selected event detection methods. Methods We used historical surveillance data with weekly counts of confirmed Plasmodium falciparum (including mixed) cases from the Amhara region of Ethiopia, where there was a resurgence of malaria in 2019 following several years of declining cases. We evaluated three methods for early detection of the 2019 malaria events: 1) the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) Early Aberration Reporting System (EARS), 2) methods based on weekly statistical thresholds, including the WHO and Cullen methods, and 3) the Farrington methods. Results All of the methods evaluated performed better than a naïve random alarm generator. We also found distinct trade-offs between the percent of events detected and the percent of true positive alarms. CDC EARS and weekly statistical threshold methods had high event sensitivities (80–100% CDC; 57–100% weekly statistical) and low to moderate alarm specificities (25–40% CDC; 16–61% weekly statistical). Farrington variants had a wide range of scores (20–100% sensitivities; 16–100% specificities) and could achieve various balances between sensitivity and specificity. Conclusions Of the methods tested, we found that the Farrington improved method was most effective at maximizing both the percent of events detected and true positive alarms for our dataset (> 70% sensitivity and > 70% specificity). This method uses statistical models to establish thresholds while controlling for seasonality and multi-year trends, and we suggest that it and other model-based approaches should be considered more broadly for malaria early detection. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12889-021-10850-5.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dawn M Nekorchuk
- Department of Geography and Environmental Sustainability, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, USA
| | | | | | - Worku Awoke
- School of Public Health, Bahir Dar University, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia
| | - Abere Mihretie
- Health, Development, and Anti-Malaria Association, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Michael C Wimberly
- Department of Geography and Environmental Sustainability, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, USA.
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30
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Sy M, Badiane AS, Deme AB, Gaye A, Ndiaye T, Fall FB, Siddle KJ, Dieye B, Ndiaye YD, Diallo MA, Diongue K, Seck MC, Ndiaye IM, Cissé M, Gueye AB, Sène D, Dieye Y, Souané T, MacInnis B, Volkman SK, Wirth DF, Ndiaye D. Genomic investigation of atypical malaria cases in Kanel, northern Senegal. Malar J 2021; 20:103. [PMID: 33608006 PMCID: PMC7893743 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-021-03637-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2020] [Accepted: 02/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The diagnosis of malaria cases in regions where the malaria burden has decreased significantly and prevalence is very low is more challenging, in part because of reduced clinical presumption of malaria. The appearance of a cluster of malaria cases with atypical symptoms in Mbounguiel, a village in northern Senegal where malaria transmission is low, in September 2018 exemplifies this scenario. The collaboration between the National Malaria Control Programme (NMCP) at the Senegal Ministry of Health and the Laboratory of Parasitology and Mycology at Cheikh Anta Diop University worked together to evaluate this cluster of malaria cases using molecular and serological tools. METHODS Malaria cases were diagnosed primarily by rapid diagnostic test (RDT), and confirmed by photo-induced electron transfer-polymerase chain reaction (PET-PCR). 24 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) barcoding was used for Plasmodium falciparum genotyping. Unbiased metagenomic sequencing and Luminex-based multi-pathogen antibody and antigen profiling were used to assess exposure to other pathogens. RESULTS Nine patients, of 15 suspected cases, were evaluated, and all nine samples were found to be positive for P. falciparum only. The 24 SNPs molecular barcode showed the predominance of polygenomic infections, with identifiable strains being different from one another. All patients tested positive for the P. falciparum antigens. No other pathogenic infection was detected by either the serological panel or metagenomic sequencing. CONCLUSIONS This work, undertaken locally within Senegal as a collaboration between the NMCP and a research laboratory at University of Cheikh Anta Diop (UCAD) revealed that a cluster of malaria cases were caused by different strains of P. falciparum. The public health response in real time demonstrates the value of local molecular and genomics capacity in affected countries for disease control and elimination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mouhamad Sy
- Laboratory of Parasitology and Mycology, Aristide le Dantec Hospital, Cheikh Anta Diop University, Dakar, Senegal.
| | - Aida Sadikh Badiane
- Laboratory of Parasitology and Mycology, Aristide le Dantec Hospital, Cheikh Anta Diop University, Dakar, Senegal
| | - Awa Bineta Deme
- Laboratory of Parasitology and Mycology, Aristide le Dantec Hospital, Cheikh Anta Diop University, Dakar, Senegal
| | - Amy Gaye
- Laboratory of Parasitology and Mycology, Aristide le Dantec Hospital, Cheikh Anta Diop University, Dakar, Senegal
| | - Tolla Ndiaye
- Laboratory of Parasitology and Mycology, Aristide le Dantec Hospital, Cheikh Anta Diop University, Dakar, Senegal
| | - Fatou Ba Fall
- Senegal National Malaria Control Programme, Dakar, Senegal
| | | | - Baba Dieye
- Laboratory of Parasitology and Mycology, Aristide le Dantec Hospital, Cheikh Anta Diop University, Dakar, Senegal
| | - Yaye Die Ndiaye
- Laboratory of Parasitology and Mycology, Aristide le Dantec Hospital, Cheikh Anta Diop University, Dakar, Senegal
| | - Mamadou Alpha Diallo
- Laboratory of Parasitology and Mycology, Aristide le Dantec Hospital, Cheikh Anta Diop University, Dakar, Senegal
| | - Khadim Diongue
- Laboratory of Parasitology and Mycology, Aristide le Dantec Hospital, Cheikh Anta Diop University, Dakar, Senegal
| | - Mame Cheikh Seck
- Laboratory of Parasitology and Mycology, Aristide le Dantec Hospital, Cheikh Anta Diop University, Dakar, Senegal
| | - Ibrahima Mbaye Ndiaye
- Laboratory of Parasitology and Mycology, Aristide le Dantec Hospital, Cheikh Anta Diop University, Dakar, Senegal
| | | | | | - Doudou Sène
- Senegal National Malaria Control Programme, Dakar, Senegal
| | - Yakou Dieye
- Malaria Control and Evaluation Partnership in Africa PATH-MACEPA, Dakar, Senegal
| | - Tamba Souané
- Malaria Control and Evaluation Partnership in Africa PATH-MACEPA, Dakar, Senegal
| | - Bronwyn MacInnis
- The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Sarah K Volkman
- The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
- College of Natural, Behavioral, and Health Sciences, Simmons University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Dyann F Wirth
- The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Daouda Ndiaye
- Laboratory of Parasitology and Mycology, Aristide le Dantec Hospital, Cheikh Anta Diop University, Dakar, Senegal
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Performance of Malaria Volunteers regarding Malaria Control Activities in Southeastern Myanmar: A Study in the Areas under Coverage of an Ethnic Health Organization. J Trop Med 2021; 2021:6642260. [PMID: 33510797 PMCID: PMC7822669 DOI: 10.1155/2021/6642260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2020] [Revised: 12/18/2020] [Accepted: 12/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Malaria volunteers (MVs) play an essential role in resolving malaria problems by delivering greater access to diagnosis and treatment services, mainly for the underserved community residing in hard-to-reach rural areas. The Karen Department of Health and Welfare (KDHW) has implemented community-based malaria control activities among the ethnic minorities in southeastern Myanmar by promoting the roles of MVs. This study aimed to explore the factors influencing the performance of MVs regarding malaria control activities in the area. From July to August 2019, a cross-sectional study was conducted in 12 townships of southeastern Myanmar under the umbrella of the KDHW malaria project. A total of 140 MVs were employed as study participants. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews using a structured questionnaire. For data analyses, descriptive statistics, chi-squared tests, and logistics regression models were applied. More than half of the MVs perceived a good level of performance on malaria control activities. A higher level of performance has been observed among the MVs who had another job (AOR: 1.9, 95% CI: 1.2–3.9), those experienced in health-related fields (AOR: 1.9, 95% CI: 1.4–4.9), who received good community support (AOR: 2.1, 95% CI: 1.3–10.9), who were volunteers beyond three years (AOR: 4.0, 95% CI: 2.8–9.2), and whose family income totaled over 500,000 MMK (AOR: 2.8, 95% CI: 1.6–4.2). The results mentioned the characteristics which should be prioritized in recruiting MVs. MV network and their workforce need to be nurtured by encouraging community support. For performance sustainability, attractive incentive schemes or a salary should be subsidized in support of their livelihoods.
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Aung PL, Soe MT, Oo TL, Khin A, Thi A, Zhao Y, Cao Y, Cui L, Kyaw MP, Parker DM. Predictors of malaria rapid diagnostic test positivity in a high burden area of Paletwa Township, Chin State in Western Myanmar. Infect Dis Poverty 2021; 10:6. [PMID: 33431057 PMCID: PMC7802189 DOI: 10.1186/s40249-020-00787-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2020] [Accepted: 12/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Despite major reductions in malaria burden across Myanmar, clusters of the disease continue to persist in specific subregions. This study aimed to assess the predictors of test positivity among people living in Paletwa Township of Chin State, an area of persistently high malaria burden. Methods Four villages with the highest malaria incidence from Paletwa Township were purposively selected. The characteristics of 1045 subjects seeking malaria diagnosis from the four assigned village health volunteers from January to December, 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. Their household conditions and surroundings were also recorded using a checklist. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression models were applied to investigate potential associations between individual and household characteristics and malaria diagnosis. Results In 2017, the Paletwa township presented 20.9% positivity and an annual parasite index of 46.9 cases per 1000 people. Plasmodium falciparum was the predominant species and accounted for more than 80.0% of all infections. Among 1045 people presenting at a clinic with malaria symptoms, 31.1% were diagnosed with malaria. Predictors for test positivity included living in a hut [adjusted odds ratios (a OR): 2.3, 95% confidence intervals (CI): 1.2–4.6], owning farm animals (aOR: 1.7, 95% CI: 1.1–3.6), using non-septic type of toilets (aOR: 1.9, 95% CI: 1.1–8.4), presenting with fever (aOR: 1.9, 95% CI: 1.1–3.0), having a malaria episode within the last year (aOR: 2.9, 95% CI: 1.4–5.8), traveling outside the village in the previous 14 days (aOR: 4.5, 95% CI: 1.5–13.4), and not using bed nets (a OR: 3.4, 95% CI: 2.3–5.1). There were no statistically significant differences by age or gender in this present analysis. Conclusions The results from this study, including a high proportion of P. falciparum infections, little difference in age, sex, or occupation, suggest that malaria is a major burden for these study villages. Targeted health education campaigns should be introduced to strengthen synchronous diagnosis-seeking behaviors, tighten treatment adherence, receiving a diagnosis after traveling to endemic regions, and using bed nets properly. We suggest increased surveillance, early diagnosis, and treatment efforts to control the disease and then to consider the local elimination.![]()
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Myat Thu Soe
- Myanmar Health Network Organization, Yangon, Myanmar
| | - Thit Lwin Oo
- Myanmar Health Network Organization, Yangon, Myanmar
| | - Aung Khin
- Myanmar Health Assistant Association, Yangon, Myanmar
| | - Aung Thi
- Department of Public Health, Ministry of Health and Sports, NayPyiTaw, Myanmar
| | - Yan Zhao
- Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medical Science, China Medical University, Shenyang, 110122, Liaoning, China
| | - Yaming Cao
- Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medical Science, China Medical University, Shenyang, 110122, Liaoning, China
| | - Liwang Cui
- Division of Infectious Diseases and International Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, 3720 Spectrum Boulevard, Suite 304, Tampa, FL, 33612, USA
| | | | - Daniel M Parker
- Department of Population Health and Disease Prevention, Department of Epidemiology, University of California, Irvine, USA.
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Blanco M, Suárez-Sanchez P, García B, Nzang J, Ncogo P, Riloha M, Berzosa P, Benito A, Romay-Barja M. Knowledge and practices regarding malaria and the National Treatment Guidelines among public health workers in Equatorial Guinea. Malar J 2021; 20:21. [PMID: 33413402 PMCID: PMC7789308 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-020-03528-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2020] [Accepted: 11/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Background In 2018, an estimated 228 million cases of malaria occurred worldwide. Countries are far from having achieved reasonable levels of national protocol compliance among health workers. Lack of awareness of treatment protocols and treatment resistance by prescribers threatens to undermine progress when it comes to reducing the prevalence of this disease. This study sought to evaluate the degree of knowledge and practices regarding malaria diagnosis and treatment amongst prescribers working at the public health facilities of Bata, Equatorial Guinea. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted in October-December 2017 amongst all public health professionals who attended patients under the age of 15 years, with suspected malaria in the Bata District of Equatorial Guinea. Practitioners were asked about their practices and knowledge of malaria and the National Malaria Treatment Guidelines. A bivariate analysis and a logistic regression model were used to determine factors associated with their knowledge. Results Among the 44 practitioners interviewed, 59.1% worked at a Health Centre and 40.9% at the District Hospital of Bata. Important differences in knowledge and practices between hospital and health centre workers were found. Clinical diagnosis was more frequently by practitioners at the health centres (p = 0.059), while microscopy confirmation was more frequent at regional hospital (100%). Intramuscular artemether was the anti-malarial most administrated at the health centres (50.0%), while artemether-lumefantrine was the treatment most used at the regional hospital (66.7%). Most practitioners working at public health facilities (63.6%) have a low level of knowledge regarding the National Malaria Treatment Guidelines. While knowledge regarding malaria, the National Malaria Treatment Guidelines and treatment resistances is low, it was higher amongst hospital workers than amongst practitioners at health centres. Conclusions It is essential to reinforce practitioners’ knowledge, treatment and diagnosis practices and use of the National Malaria Treatment Guidelines in order to improve malaria case management and disease control in the region. A specific malaria training programme ensuring ongoing updates training is necessary in order to ensure that greater experience does not entail obsolete knowledge and, consequently, inadequate diagnosis and treatment practices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Blanco
- Centro Nacional de Medicina Tropical, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.,Servicio de Medicina Preventiva, Hospital Virgen de la Salud, Toledo, Spain
| | - Pablo Suárez-Sanchez
- Centro Nacional de Medicina Tropical, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.,Servicio de Medicina Preventiva, Hospital Clínico San Carlos, Madrid, Spain
| | - Belén García
- Centro Nacional de Medicina Tropical, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.,Fundación Estatal, Salud, Infancia y Bienestar Social (FCSAI), Madrid, Spain
| | - Jesús Nzang
- Centro Nacional de Medicina Tropical, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.,Fundación Estatal, Salud, Infancia y Bienestar Social (FCSAI), Madrid, Spain
| | - Policarpo Ncogo
- Centro Nacional de Medicina Tropical, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.,Fundación Estatal, Salud, Infancia y Bienestar Social (FCSAI), Madrid, Spain
| | - Matilde Riloha
- Ministerio de Salud y Bienestar Social, Malabo, Equatorial Guinea
| | - Pedro Berzosa
- Centro Nacional de Medicina Tropical, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.,Red de Investigación Colaborativa en Enfermedades Tropicales, RICET, Madrid, Spain
| | - Agustín Benito
- Centro Nacional de Medicina Tropical, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.,Red de Investigación Colaborativa en Enfermedades Tropicales, RICET, Madrid, Spain
| | - María Romay-Barja
- Centro Nacional de Medicina Tropical, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain. .,Red de Investigación Colaborativa en Enfermedades Tropicales, RICET, Madrid, Spain.
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Malaria and COVID-19: Common and Different Findings. Trop Med Infect Dis 2020; 5:tropicalmed5030141. [PMID: 32899935 PMCID: PMC7559940 DOI: 10.3390/tropicalmed5030141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2020] [Revised: 09/02/2020] [Accepted: 09/03/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Malaria and COVID-19 may have similar aspects and seem to have a strong potential for mutual influence. They have already caused millions of deaths, and the regions where malaria is endemic are at risk of further suffering from the consequences of COVID-19 due to mutual side effects, such as less access to treatment for patients with malaria due to the fear of access to healthcare centers leading to diagnostic delays and worse outcomes. Moreover, the similar and generic symptoms make it harder to achieve an immediate diagnosis. Healthcare systems and professionals will face a great challenge in the case of a COVID-19 and malaria syndemic. Here, we present an overview of common and different findings for both diseases with possible mutual influences of one on the other, especially in countries with limited resources.
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35
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Mlacha YP, Wang D, Chaki PP, Gavana T, Zhou Z, Michael MG, Khatib R, Chila G, Msuya HM, Chaki E, Makungu C, Lin K, Tambo E, Rumisha SF, Mkude S, Mahende MK, Chacky F, Vounatsou P, Tanner M, Masanja H, Aregawi M, Hertzmark E, Xiao N, Abdulla S, Zhou XN. Effectiveness of the innovative 1,7-malaria reactive community-based testing and response (1, 7-mRCTR) approach on malaria burden reduction in Southeastern Tanzania. Malar J 2020; 19:292. [PMID: 32799857 PMCID: PMC7429894 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-020-03363-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2020] [Accepted: 08/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In 2015, a China-UK-Tanzania tripartite pilot project was implemented in southeastern Tanzania to explore a new model for reducing malaria burden and possibly scaling-out the approach into other malaria-endemic countries. The 1,7-malaria Reactive Community-based Testing and Response (1,7-mRCTR) which is a locally-tailored approach for reporting febrile malaria cases in endemic villages was developed to stop transmission and Plasmodium life-cycle. The (1,7-mRCTR) utilizes existing health facility data and locally trained community health workers to conduct community-level testing and treatment. METHODS The pilot project was implemented from September 2015 to June 2018 in Rufiji District, southern Tanzania. The study took place in four wards, two with low incidence and two with a higher incidence. One ward of each type was selected for each of the control and intervention arms. The control wards implemented the existing Ministry of Health programmes. The 1,7-mRCTR activities implemented in the intervention arm included community testing and treatment of malaria infection. Malaria case-to-suspect ratios at health facilities (HF) were aggregated by villages, weekly to identify the village with the highest ratio. Community-based mobile test stations (cMTS) were used for conducting mass testing and treatment. Baseline (pre) and endline (post) household surveys were done in the control and intervention wards to assess the change in malaria prevalence measured by the interaction term of 'time' (post vs pre) and arm in a logistic model. A secondary analysis also studied the malaria incidence reported at the HFs during the intervention. RESULTS Overall the 85 rounds of 1,7-mRCTR conducted in the intervention wards significantly reduced the odds of malaria infection by 66% (adjusted OR 0.34, 95% CI 0.26,0.44, p < 0001) beyond the effect of the standard programmes. Malaria prevalence in the intervention wards declined by 81% (from 26% (95% CI 23.7, 7.8), at baseline to 4.9% (95% CI 4.0, 5.9) at endline). In villages receiving the 1,7-mRCTR, the short-term case ratio decreased by over 15.7% (95% CI - 33, 6) compared to baseline. CONCLUSION The 1,7-mRCTR approach significantly reduced the malaria burden in the areas of high transmission in rural southern Tanzania. This locally tailored approach could accelerate malaria control and elimination efforts. The results provide the impetus for further evaluation of the effectiveness and scaling up of this approach in other high malaria burden countries in Africa, including Tanzania.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yeromin P Mlacha
- Ifakara Health Institute, P. O. Box 78378, Kiko Avenue, Mikocheni, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.,Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland.,University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Duoquan Wang
- National Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 207 Rui Jin Er Road, Shanghai, 200025, People's Republic of China
| | - Prosper P Chaki
- Ifakara Health Institute, P. O. Box 78378, Kiko Avenue, Mikocheni, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
| | - Tegemeo Gavana
- Ifakara Health Institute, P. O. Box 78378, Kiko Avenue, Mikocheni, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - Zhengbin Zhou
- National Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 207 Rui Jin Er Road, Shanghai, 200025, People's Republic of China
| | - Mihayo G Michael
- Ifakara Health Institute, P. O. Box 78378, Kiko Avenue, Mikocheni, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - Rashid Khatib
- Ifakara Health Institute, P. O. Box 78378, Kiko Avenue, Mikocheni, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - Godlove Chila
- Ifakara Health Institute, P. O. Box 78378, Kiko Avenue, Mikocheni, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - Hajirani M Msuya
- Ifakara Health Institute, P. O. Box 78378, Kiko Avenue, Mikocheni, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - Exavery Chaki
- Ifakara Health Institute, P. O. Box 78378, Kiko Avenue, Mikocheni, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - Christina Makungu
- Ifakara Health Institute, P. O. Box 78378, Kiko Avenue, Mikocheni, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - Kangming Lin
- Guangxi Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Nanning, China
| | - Ernest Tambo
- Higher Institute of Health Sciences, Université des Montagnes, Bangangté, BP 208, Cameroon
| | - Susan F Rumisha
- National Institute for Medical Research (NIMR), P.O. Box 9653, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - Sigsbert Mkude
- Ifakara Health Institute, P. O. Box 78378, Kiko Avenue, Mikocheni, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - Muhidin K Mahende
- Ifakara Health Institute, P. O. Box 78378, Kiko Avenue, Mikocheni, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - Frank Chacky
- National Malaria Control, Ministry of Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children, Dodoma, Tanzania
| | - Penelope Vounatsou
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland.,University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Marcel Tanner
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland.,University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Honorati Masanja
- Ifakara Health Institute, P. O. Box 78378, Kiko Avenue, Mikocheni, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - Maru Aregawi
- The Global Malaria Programme (GMP), World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Ellen Hertzmark
- Department of Global Health and Population, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ning Xiao
- National Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 207 Rui Jin Er Road, Shanghai, 200025, People's Republic of China
| | - Salim Abdulla
- Ifakara Health Institute, P. O. Box 78378, Kiko Avenue, Mikocheni, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - Xiao-Nong Zhou
- National Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 207 Rui Jin Er Road, Shanghai, 200025, People's Republic of China
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Boush MA, Djibrine MA, Mussa A, Talib M, Maki A, Mohammed A, Beshir KB, Mohamed Z, Hajissa K. Plasmodium falciparum isolate with histidine-rich protein 2 gene deletion from Nyala City, Western Sudan. Sci Rep 2020; 10:12822. [PMID: 32733079 PMCID: PMC7393171 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-69756-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2020] [Accepted: 07/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
In remote areas of malaria-endemic countries, rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) have dramatically improved parasitological confirmation of suspected malaria cases, especially when skilled microscopists are not available. This study was designed to determine the frequency of Plasmodium falciparum isolates with histidine-rich protein 2 (pfhrp2) gene deletion as one of the possible factors contributing to the failure of PfHRP2-based RDTs in detecting malaria. A total of 300 blood samples were collected from several health centres in Nyala City, Western Sudan. The performance of PfHRP2-based RDTs in relation to microscopy was examined and the PCR-confirmed samples were investigated for the presence of pfhrp2 gene. A total of 113 out of 300 patients were P. falciparum positive by microscopy. Among them, 93.81% (106 out of 113) were positives by the PfHRP2 RDTs. Seven isolates were identified as false negative on the basis of the RDTs results. Only one isolate (0.9%; 1/113) potentially has pfhrp2 gene deletion. The sensitivity and specificity of PfHRP2-based RDTs were 93.81% and 100%, respectively. The results provide insights into the pfhrp2 gene deletion amongst P. falciparum population from Sudan. However, further studies with a large and systematic collection from different geographical settings across the country are needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammed A Boush
- Malaria, Centre for Disease Control, Malaria, Schistosomiasis and Leishmaniasis Control Program, State Ministry of Health, Nyala, Sudan
| | - Moussa A Djibrine
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Exact and Applied Sciences, University of N'djamena, N'djamena, Chad
| | - Ali Mussa
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Education, Omdurman Islamic University, Omdurman, Sudan.,Genetics and Molecular Biology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, University of Khartoum, Khartoum, Sudan.,Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Omdurman Islamic University, Omdurman, Sudan
| | - Mustafa Talib
- Genetics and Molecular Biology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, University of Khartoum, Khartoum, Sudan.,Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Omdurman Islamic University, Omdurman, Sudan
| | - A Maki
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Institute of Molecular Biology, University of Nyala, Nyala, Sudan
| | - Abdulrahman Mohammed
- National Public Health Reference Laboratory, Ministry of Health, Mogadishu, Somalia
| | - Khalid B Beshir
- Faculty of Infectious Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Zeehaida Mohamed
- Department of Medical Microbiology & Parasitology, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 16150, Kubang Kerian, Kelantan, Malaysia.
| | - Khalid Hajissa
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Omdurman Islamic University, Omdurman, Sudan. .,Department of Medical Microbiology & Parasitology, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 16150, Kubang Kerian, Kelantan, Malaysia.
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Zhu L, Shan L, Zhu J, Li L, Li S, Wang L, Wang J, Zhang S, Zhou H, Zhang W, Li H. Discovery of a natural fluorescent probe targeting the Plasmodium falciparum cysteine protease falcipain-2. SCIENCE CHINA. LIFE SCIENCES 2020; 63:1016-1025. [PMID: 32048162 DOI: 10.1007/s11427-019-1581-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2019] [Accepted: 11/26/2019] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
The Plasmodium falciparum cysteine protease falcipain-2 (FP-2) is an attractive antimalarial target. Here, we discovered that the natural compound NP1024 is a nonpeptidic inhibitor of FP-2 with an IC50 value of 0.44 μmol L-1. The most exciting finding is that both in vitro and in vivo, NP1024 directly targets FP-2 in malaria parasite-infected erythrocytes as a natural fluorescent probe, thereby paving the way for an integration of malaria diagnosis and treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lili Zhu
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of New Drug Design, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, China
| | - Lei Shan
- Department of Natural Product Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, 200433, China
| | - Junsheng Zhu
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of New Drug Design, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, China
| | - Li Li
- Department of Natural Product Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, 200433, China
| | - Shiliang Li
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of New Drug Design, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, China
| | - Liyan Wang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of New Drug Design, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, China
| | - Jiawei Wang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of New Drug Design, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, China
| | - Shoude Zhang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of New Drug Design, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, China
- Department of Natural Product Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, 200433, China
| | - Hongchang Zhou
- School of Medicine, Huzhou University, Huzhou Central Hospital, Huzhou, 313000, China
| | - Weidong Zhang
- Department of Natural Product Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, 200433, China.
| | - Honglin Li
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of New Drug Design, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, China.
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Olivera MJ, Guerra AP, Cortes LJ, Horth RZ, Padilla J, Novoa J, Ade MDLP, Ljolje D, Lucchi NW, Marquiño W, Renteria M, Yurgaky W, Macedo de Oliveira A. Artemether-Lumefantrine Efficacy for the Treatment of Uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum Malaria in Choco, Colombia after 8 Years as First-Line Treatment. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2020; 102:1056-1063. [PMID: 32100686 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.19-0954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Artemether-lumefantrine (AL) is the first-line treatment for uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum infection in Colombia. To assess AL efficacy for uncomplicated falciparum malaria in Quibdo, Choco, Colombia, we conducted a 28-day therapeutic efficacy study (TES) following the WHO guidelines. From July 2018 to February 2019, febrile patients aged 5-65 years with microscopy-confirmed P. falciparum mono-infection and asexual parasite density of 250-100,000 parasites/µL were enrolled and treated with a supervised 3-day course of AL. The primary endpoint was adequate clinical and parasitological response (ACPR) on day 28. We attempted to use polymerase chain reaction (PCR) genotyping to differentiate reinfection and recrudescence, and conducted genetic testing for antimalarial resistance-associated genes. Eighty-eight patients consented and were enrolled; four were lost to follow-up or missed treatment doses. Therefore, 84 (95.5%) participants reached a valid endpoint: treatment failure or ACPR. No patient remained microscopy positive for malaria on day 3, evidence of delayed parasite clearance and artemisinin resistance. One patient had recurrent infection (12 parasites/µL) on day 28. Uncorrected ACPR rate was 98.8% (83/84) (95% CI: 93.5-100%). The recurrent infection sample did not amplify during molecular testing, giving a PCR-corrected ACPR of 100% (83/83) (95% CI: 95.7-100%). No P. falciparum kelch 13 polymorphisms associated with artemisinin resistance were identified. Our results support high AL efficacy for falciparum malaria in Choco. Because of the time required to conduct TESs in low-endemic settings, it is important to consider complementary alternatives to monitor antimalarial efficacy and resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mario J Olivera
- Grupo de Parasitología, Instituto Nacional de Salud, Bogota, Colombia
| | | | | | - Roberta Z Horth
- Epidemic Intelligence Service, Center for Surveillance, Epidemiology, and Laboratory Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Julio Padilla
- Ministerio de Salud y Protección Social, Bogota, Colombia
| | | | - María de la Paz Ade
- Department of Communicable Diseases and Environmental Determinants of Health, Pan-American Health Organization, Washington, District of Columbia
| | - Dragan Ljolje
- Malaria Branch, Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria, Center for Global Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Naomi W Lucchi
- Malaria Branch, Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria, Center for Global Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
| | | | - Martha Renteria
- Laboratorio Departamental de Salud Pública de Choco, Quibdo, Colombia
| | | | - Alexandre Macedo de Oliveira
- Malaria Branch, Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria, Center for Global Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
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Bisoffi Z, Bertoldi M, Silva R, Bertoli G, Ursini T, Marocco S, Piubelli C, Pomari E, Buonfrate D, Gobbi F. Dynamics of anti-malarial antibodies in non-immune patients during and after a first and unique Plasmodium falciparum malaria episode. Malar J 2020; 19:228. [PMID: 32590983 PMCID: PMC7316638 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-020-03300-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2020] [Accepted: 06/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Malaria is a major travel medicine issue. Retrospective confirmation of a malaria episode diagnosed in an endemic area can have relevant implications in transfusional medicine in Europe, where blood donors are excluded from donation on the basis of positive malaria serology. However, there is scarce evidence on the dynamics of anti-malarial antibodies after a first malaria episode in non-immune individuals. The first aim of this study was to describe the dynamics of anti-malarial antibodies in a first malaria episode in non-immune travellers. Secondary objectives were to assess the sensitivity of serology for a retrospective diagnosis in non-immune travellers diagnosed while abroad and to discuss the implications in transfusional medicine. METHODS Retrospective analysis of the results of an indirect fluorescence antibody test (IFAT) for malaria available for patients with a first malaria episode by Plasmodium falciparum and admitted at the IRCCS Sacro Cuore Don Calabria hospital in a 14-year period. The antibody titres were collected at baseline and during further follow up visits. Epidemiological, demographic and laboratory test results (including full blood count and malaria parasite density) were anonymously recorded in a study specific electronic Case Report Form created with OpenClinica software. Statistical analysis was performed with SAS software version 9.4. RESULTS Thirty-six patients were included. Among them, all but two were Europeans (one African and one American). Median length of fever before diagnosis was 2 days (IQR 1-3). Thirty-five patients had seroconversion between day 1 and day 4 from admission, and the titre showed a sharply rising titre, often to a very high level in a few days. Only a single patient remained negative in the first 5 days from admission, after which he was no more tested. Six patients were followed up for at least 2 months, and they all showed a decline in IFAT titre, tending to seroreversion (confirmed in one patient with the longest follow up, almost 4 years). CONCLUSIONS Serology demonstrated reliable for retrospective diagnosis in non-immune travellers. The decline in the anti-malarial titre might be included in the screening algorithms of blood donors, but further studies are needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zeno Bisoffi
- Department of Infectious-Tropical Diseases and Microbiology, IRCCS Sacro Cuore Don Calabria Hospital, Negrar, Verona, Italy.,Department of Diagnostics and Public Health, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Marco Bertoldi
- Infectious Diseases Department, University Hospital of Verona, Piazzale L.A. Scuro, Verona, Italy
| | - Ronaldo Silva
- Department of Infectious-Tropical Diseases and Microbiology, IRCCS Sacro Cuore Don Calabria Hospital, Negrar, Verona, Italy
| | - Giulia Bertoli
- Department of Infectious-Tropical Diseases and Microbiology, IRCCS Sacro Cuore Don Calabria Hospital, Negrar, Verona, Italy
| | - Tamara Ursini
- Department of Infectious-Tropical Diseases and Microbiology, IRCCS Sacro Cuore Don Calabria Hospital, Negrar, Verona, Italy
| | - Stefania Marocco
- Department of Infectious-Tropical Diseases and Microbiology, IRCCS Sacro Cuore Don Calabria Hospital, Negrar, Verona, Italy
| | - Chiara Piubelli
- Department of Infectious-Tropical Diseases and Microbiology, IRCCS Sacro Cuore Don Calabria Hospital, Negrar, Verona, Italy
| | - Elena Pomari
- Department of Infectious-Tropical Diseases and Microbiology, IRCCS Sacro Cuore Don Calabria Hospital, Negrar, Verona, Italy
| | - Dora Buonfrate
- Department of Infectious-Tropical Diseases and Microbiology, IRCCS Sacro Cuore Don Calabria Hospital, Negrar, Verona, Italy.
| | - Federico Gobbi
- Department of Infectious-Tropical Diseases and Microbiology, IRCCS Sacro Cuore Don Calabria Hospital, Negrar, Verona, Italy
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Chanda-Kapata P, Kapata N, Zumla A. COVID-19 and malaria: A symptom screening challenge for malaria endemic countries. Int J Infect Dis 2020; 94:151-153. [PMID: 32344326 PMCID: PMC7184246 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijid.2020.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2020] [Accepted: 04/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | - Nathan Kapata
- Zambia National Public Health Institute, Ministry of Health, Lusaka, Zambia.
| | - Alimuddin Zumla
- Department of Infection, Division of Infection and Immunity, University College London and NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, UCL Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom.
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41
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Chu CS, Carrara VI, Parker DM, Proux S, Charunwatthana P, McGready R, Nosten F. Declining Burden of Plasmodium vivax in a Population in Northwestern Thailand from 1995 to 2016 before Comprehensive Primaquine Prescription for Radical Cure. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2020; 102:147-150. [PMID: 31746312 PMCID: PMC6947798 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.19-0496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
All Plasmodium cases have declined over the last decade in northwestern Thailand along the Myanmar border. During this time, Plasmodium vivax has replaced Plasmodium falciparum as the dominant species. The decline in P. falciparum has been shadowed by a coincidental but delayed decline in P. vivax cases. This may be due to early detection and artemisinin-based therapy, species-specific diagnostics, and bed net usage all of which reduce malaria transmission but not P. vivax relapse. In the absence of widespread primaquine use for radical cure against P. vivax hypnozoites, the decline in P. vivax may be explained by decreased hypnozoite activation of P. vivax relapses triggered by P. falciparum. The observed trends in this region suggest a beneficial effect of decreased P. falciparum transmission on P. vivax incidence, but elimination of P. vivax in a timely manner likely requires radical cure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cindy S Chu
- Centre for Tropical Medicine, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom.,Shoklo Malaria Research Unit, Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Mae Sot, Thailand
| | - Verena I Carrara
- Department of Medicine, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Daniel M Parker
- Department of Population Health and Disease Prevention, University of California, Irvine, California
| | - Stéphane Proux
- Shoklo Malaria Research Unit, Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Mae Sot, Thailand
| | - Prakaykaew Charunwatthana
- Department of Clinical Tropical Medicine, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.,Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Mae Sot, Thailand
| | - Rose McGready
- Centre for Tropical Medicine, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom.,Shoklo Malaria Research Unit, Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Mae Sot, Thailand
| | - François Nosten
- Centre for Tropical Medicine, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom.,Shoklo Malaria Research Unit, Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Mae Sot, Thailand
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Lumbala C, Matovu E, Sendagire H, Kazibwe AJN, Likwela JL, Muhindo Mavoko H, Kayembe S, Lutumba P, Biéler S, Van Geertruyden JP, Ndung’u JM. Performance evaluation of a prototype rapid diagnostic test for combined detection of gambiense human African trypanosomiasis and malaria. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2020; 14:e0008168. [PMID: 32251426 PMCID: PMC7162526 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0008168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2019] [Revised: 04/16/2020] [Accepted: 02/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Malaria is endemic in all regions where gambiense or rhodesiense human African trypanosomiasis (HAT) is reported, and both diseases have similarities in their symptomatology. A combined test could be useful for both diseases and would facilitate integration of the screening for gambiense HAT (gHAT) and malaria diagnosis. This study aimed to evaluate a combined prototype rapid diagnostic test (RDT) for gHAT and malaria. Methods Blood samples were collected in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and in Uganda to evaluate the performance of a prototype HAT/Malaria Combined RDT in comparison to an individual malaria RDT based on Plasmodium falciparum (P.f.) Histidine Rich Protein II (HRP-II or HRP2) antigen (SD BIOLINE Malaria Ag P.f. RDT) for malaria detection and an individual gHAT RDT based on recombinant antigens, the SD BIOLINE HAT 2.0 RDT for HAT screening. Due to the current low prevalence of gHAT in endemic regions, the set of blood samples that were collected was used to evaluate the specificity of the RDTs for gHAT, and additional archived plasma samples were used to complete the evaluation of the HAT/Malaria Combined RDT in comparison to the HAT 2.0 RDT. Results Frozen whole blood samples from a total of 486 malaria cases and 239 non-malaria controls, as well as archived plasma samples from 246 gHAT positive and 246 gHAT negative individuals were tested. For malaria, the sensitivity and specificity of the malaria band in the HAT/Malaria Combined RDT were 96.9% (95% CI: 95.0–98.3) and 97.1% (95% CI: 94.1–98.8) respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of the SD BIOLINE malaria Ag P.f. RDT were 97.3% (95% CI: 95.5–98.6) and 97.1% (95% CI: 94.1–98.8) respectively. For gHAT, using archived plasma samples, the sensitivity and specificity were respectively 89% (95% CI: 84.4–92.6) and 93.5% (95% CI: 89.7–96.2) with the HAT/Malaria Combined RDT, and 88.2% (95% CI: 83.5–92) and 94.7% (95% CI: 91.1–97.2) with the HAT 2.0 RDT. Using the whole blood samples that were collected during the study, the specificity of the HAT/Malaria Combined RDT for gHAT was 95.8% (95% CI: 94.3–97.0). Conclusion The HAT/Malaria Combined prototype RDT was as accurate as the individual malaria or gHAT RDTs. The HAT/Malaria Combined prototype RDT is therefore suitable for both malaria diagnosis and gHAT screening. However, there is a need to assess its accuracy using fresh samples in prospective clinical trials. The annual number of reported cases of human African trypanosomiasis (HAT), also known as sleeping sickness (SS), is currently below 1,000 cases worldwide. The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the most affected country, and Uganda, which shares a border with DRC, are both endemic for gambiense HAT (gHAT). The main strategy to control gHAT is screening of at-risk individuals, followed by diagnosis and treatment of confirmed cases. However, this strategy and even the passive screening as currently implemented become less efficient with declining incidence, justifying innovative strategies to efficiently detect the remaining cases. All areas where gHAT occurs are also endemic for malaria, presenting an opportunity to integrate gHAT screening activities within malaria control activities. This integration is warranted by the fact that in early disease stage, gHAT patients present with signs and symptoms strikingly similar to those of malaria. In order to use malaria diagnosis as an entry point to screen for gHAT, Standard Diagnostics (SD), Republic of Korea (now Abbott Diagnostics, Korea Inc–ADK) made a Combined prototype RDT for both malaria and gHAT, expected to be as accurate as the individual gHAT and malaria RDTs. In this study, we evaluated the accuracy of the Combined prototype RDT using whole blood samples collected in Uganda and DRC, and archived plasma samples collected in DRC, Angola and Central African Republic. We found that the Combined prototype performs just as well as individual RDTs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Crispin Lumbala
- Disease Control Directorate, Ministry of Public Health, Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Global Health Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
- * E-mail:
| | - Enock Matovu
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Biosecurity, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Hakim Sendagire
- College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Anne J. N. Kazibwe
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Biosecurity, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Joris L. Likwela
- Public Health Department, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, University of Kisangani, Kisangani, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | | | - Simon Kayembe
- Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND), Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Pascal Lutumba
- Kinshasa University, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Sylvain Biéler
- Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND), Geneva, Switzerland
| | | | - Joseph M. Ndung’u
- Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND), Geneva, Switzerland
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Disease diagnostics using hydrodynamic flow focusing in microfluidic devices: Beyond flow cytometry. Biomed Eng Lett 2020; 10:241-257. [PMID: 32431954 DOI: 10.1007/s13534-019-00144-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2019] [Revised: 11/23/2019] [Accepted: 11/28/2019] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The multi-disciplinary field of microfluidics has the potential to provide solutions to a diverse set of problems. It offers the advantages of high-throughput, continuous, rapid and expeditious analysis requiring minute quantities of sample. However, even as this field has yielded many mass-manufacturable and cost-efficient point-of-care devices, its direct and practical applications into the field of disease diagnostics still remain limited and largely overlooked by the industry. This review focuses on the phenomenon of hydrodynamic focusing and its potential to materialize solutions for appropriate diagnosis and prognosis. The study aims to look beyond its intended cytometric applications and focus on unambiguous disease detection, monitoring, drug delivery, studies conducted on DNA and highlight the instances in the scientific literature that have proposed such approach.
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Antwi-Baffour S, Malibha-Pinchbeck M, Stratton D, Jorfi S, Lange S, Inal J. Plasma mEV levels in Ghanain malaria patients with low parasitaemia are higher than those of healthy controls, raising the potential for parasite markers in mEVs as diagnostic targets. J Extracell Vesicles 2019; 9:1697124. [PMID: 32002165 PMCID: PMC6968499 DOI: 10.1080/20013078.2019.1697124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2018] [Revised: 11/06/2019] [Accepted: 11/11/2019] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
This study sought to measure medium-sized extracellular vesicles (mEVs) in plasma, when patients have low Plasmodium falciparum early in infection. We aimed to define the relationship between plasma mEVs and: (i) parasitaemia, (ii) period from onset of malaria symptoms until seeking medical care (patient delay, PD), (iii) age and (iv) gender. In this cross-sectional study, n = 434 patients were analysed and Nanosight Tracking Analysis (NTA) used to quantify mEVs (vesicles of 150–500 nm diameter, isolated at 15,000 × g, β-tubulin-positive and staining for annexin V, but weak or negative for CD81). Overall plasma mEV levels (1.69 × 1010 mEVs mL−1) were 2.3-fold higher than for uninfected controls (0.51 × 1010 mEVs mL−1). Divided into four age groups, we found a bimodal distribution with 2.5- and 2.1-fold higher mEVs in infected children (<11 years old [yo]) (median:2.11 × 1010 mEVs mL−1) and the elderly (>45 yo) (median:1.92 × 1010 mEVs mL−1), respectively, compared to uninfected controls; parasite density varied similarly with age groups. There was a positive association between mEVs and parasite density (r = 0.587, p < 0.0001) and mEVs were strongly associated with PD (r = 0.919, p < 0.0001), but gender had no effect on plasma mEV levels (p = 0.667). Parasite density was also exponentially related to patient delay. Gender (p = 0.667) had no effect on plasma mEV levels. During periods of low parasitaemia (PD = 72h), mEVs were 0.93-fold greater than in uninfected controls. As 75% (49/65) of patients had low parasitaemia levels (20–500 parasites µL−1), close to the detection limits of microscopy of Giemsa-stained thick blood films (5–150 parasites µL−1), mEV quantification by NTA could potentially have early diagnostic value, and raises the potential of Pf markers in mEVs as early diagnostic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel Antwi-Baffour
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, School of Biomedical and Allied Health Sciences, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | | | - Dan Stratton
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Hull, Hull, UK
| | - Samireh Jorfi
- School of Human Sciences, London Metropolitan University, London, UK
| | - Sigrun Lange
- Department of Biomedical Science, Tissue Architecture and Regeneration Research Group, University of Westminster, London, UK
| | - Jameel Inal
- School of Human Sciences, London Metropolitan University, London, UK.,School of Life and Medical Sciences, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield, UK
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Khandekar E, Kramer R, Ali AS, Al-Mafazy AW, Egger JR, LeGrand S, Mkali HR, McKay M, Ngondi JM. Evaluating Response Time in Zanzibar's Malaria Elimination Case-Based Surveillance-Response System. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2019; 100:256-263. [PMID: 30526729 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.17-0546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
As countries transition toward malaria elimination, malaria programs rely on surveillance-response systems, which are often supported by web- and mobile phone-based reporting tools. Such surveillance-response systems are interventions for elimination, making it important to determine if they are operating optimally. A metric to measure this by is timeliness. This study used a mixed-methods approach to investigate the response time of Zanzibar's malaria elimination surveillance-response system, Malaria Case Notification (MCN). MCN conducts both passive and reactive case detection, supported by a mobile phone-based reporting tool called Coconut Surveillance. Using data obtained from RTI International and the Zanzibar Malaria Elimination Program (ZAMEP), analysis of summary statistics was conducted to investigate the association of response time with geography, and time series techniques were used to investigate trends in response time and its association with the number of reported cases. Results indicated that response time varied by the district in Zanzibar (0.6-6.05 days) and that it was not associated with calendar time or the number of reported cases. Survey responses and focus groups with a cadre of health workers, district malaria surveillance officers, shed light on operational challenges faced during case investigation, such as incomplete health records and transportation issues, which stem from deficiencies in aspects of ZAMEP's program management. These findings illustrate that timely response for malaria elimination depends on effective program management, despite the automation of web-based or mobile phone-based tools. For surveillance-response systems to work optimally, malaria programs should ensure that optimal management practices are in place.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eeshan Khandekar
- Duke Global Health Institute, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Randall Kramer
- Duke Global Health Institute, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Abdullah S Ali
- Zanzibar Malaria Elimination Programme, Zanzibar, Tanzania
| | | | - Joseph R Egger
- Duke Global Health Institute, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Sara LeGrand
- Duke Global Health Institute, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
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Mercado CEG, Lawpoolsri S, Sudathip P, Kaewkungwal J, Khamsiriwatchara A, Pan-Ngum W, Yimsamran S, Lawawirojwong S, Ho K, Ekapirat N, Maude RR, Wiladphaingern J, Carrara VI, Day NPJ, Dondorp AM, Maude RJ. Spatiotemporal epidemiology, environmental correlates, and demography of malaria in Tak Province, Thailand (2012-2015). Malar J 2019; 18:240. [PMID: 31311606 PMCID: PMC6636027 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-019-2871-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2018] [Accepted: 07/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Tak Province, at the Thai–Myanmar border, is one of three high malaria incidence areas in Thailand. This study aimed to describe and identify possible factors driving the spatiotemporal trends of disease incidence from 2012 to 2015. Methods Climate variables and forest cover were correlated with malaria incidence using Pearson’s r. Statistically significant clusters of high (hot spots) and low (cold spots) annual parasite incidence per 1000 population (API) were identified using Getis-Ord Gi* statistic. Results The total number of confirmed cases declined by 76% from 2012 to 2015 (Plasmodium falciparum by 81%, Plasmodium vivax by 73%). Incidence was highly seasonal with two main annual peaks. Most cases were male (62.75%), ≥ 15 years (56.07%), and of Myanmar (56.64%) or Thai (39.25%) nationality. Median temperature (1- and 2-month lags), average temperature (1- and 2-month lags) and average relative humidity (2- and 3-month lags) correlated positively with monthly total, P. falciparum and P. vivax API. Total rainfall in the same month correlated with API for total cases and P. vivax but not P. falciparum. At sub-district level, percentage forest cover had a low positive correlation with P. falciparum, P. vivax, and total API in most years. There was a decrease in API in most sub-districts for both P. falciparum and P. vivax. Sub-districts with the highest API were in the Tha Song Yang and Umphang Districts along the Thai–Myanmar border. Annual hot spots were mostly in the extreme north and south of the province. Conclusions There has been a large decline in reported clinical malaria from 2012 to 2015 in Tak Province. API was correlated with monthly climate and annual forest cover but these did not account for the trends over time. Ongoing elimination interventions on one or both sides of the border are more likely to have been the cause but it was not possible to assess this due to a lack of suitable data. Two main hot spot areas were identified that could be targeted for intensified elimination activities. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12936-019-2871-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chris Erwin G Mercado
- Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit (MORU), Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand. .,Department of Tropical Hygiene, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.
| | - Saranath Lawpoolsri
- Department of Tropical Hygiene, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.,Center of Excellence for Biomedical and Public Health Informatics (BIOPHICS), Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Prayuth Sudathip
- Bureau of Vector-borne Diseases (BVBD), Department of Disease Control (DDC), Ministry of Public Health (MOPH), Nonthaburi, Thailand
| | - Jaranit Kaewkungwal
- Department of Tropical Hygiene, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.,Center of Excellence for Biomedical and Public Health Informatics (BIOPHICS), Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Amnat Khamsiriwatchara
- Center of Excellence for Biomedical and Public Health Informatics (BIOPHICS), Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Wirichada Pan-Ngum
- Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit (MORU), Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.,Department of Tropical Hygiene, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Surapon Yimsamran
- Department of Tropical Hygiene, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Siam Lawawirojwong
- Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (GISTDA), Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Kevin Ho
- Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit (MORU), Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Nattwut Ekapirat
- Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit (MORU), Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Rapeephan R Maude
- Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit (MORU), Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Jacher Wiladphaingern
- Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit (MORU), Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.,Shoklo Malaria Research Unit (SMRU), Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Mae Sot, Tak, Thailand
| | - Verena I Carrara
- Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit (MORU), Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.,Shoklo Malaria Research Unit (SMRU), Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Mae Sot, Tak, Thailand
| | - Nicholas P J Day
- Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit (MORU), Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.,Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Arjen M Dondorp
- Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit (MORU), Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.,Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Richard J Maude
- Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit (MORU), Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.,Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.,Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, Boston, USA
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47
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Analysis of Haematological Parameters as Predictors of Malaria Infection Using a Logistic Regression Model: A Case Study of a Hospital in the Ashanti Region of Ghana. Malar Res Treat 2019; 2019:1486370. [PMID: 31263541 PMCID: PMC6556344 DOI: 10.1155/2019/1486370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2019] [Revised: 04/16/2019] [Accepted: 04/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Malaria is the leading cause of morbidity in Ghana representing 40-60% of outpatient hospital attendance with about 10% ending up on admission. Microscopic examination of peripheral blood film remains the most preferred and reliable method for malaria diagnosis worldwide. But the level of skills required for microscopic examination of peripheral blood film is often lacking in Ghana. This study looked at determining the extent to which haematological parameters and demographic characteristics of patients could be used to predict malaria infection using logistic regression. The overall prevalence of malaria in the study area was determined to be 25.96%; nonetheless, 45.30% of children between the ages of 5 and 14 tested positive. The binary logistic model developed for this study identified age, haemoglobin, platelet, and lymphocyte as the most significant predictors. The sensitivity and specificity of the model were 77.4% and 75.7%, respectively, with a PPV and NPV of 52.72% and 90.51%, respectively. Similar to RDT this logistic model when used will reduce the waiting time and improve the diagnosis of malaria.
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48
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Digital PCR: a new technology for diagnosis of parasitic infections. Clin Microbiol Infect 2019; 25:1510-1516. [PMID: 31226445 DOI: 10.1016/j.cmi.2019.06.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2019] [Revised: 06/06/2019] [Accepted: 06/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Parasitic infections are responsible for a significant burden of disease worldwide as a result of international travel and immigration. More accurate diagnostic tools are necessary in support to parasite control and elimination programmes in endemic regions as well as for rapid case detection in non-endemic areas. Digital PCR (dPCR) is a powerful technology with recent applications in parasitology. AIMS This review provides for the first time an overview of dPCR as a novel technology applied to detection of parasitic infections, and highlights the most relevant potential benefits of this assay. SOURCES Peer-reviewed literature pertinent to this review based on PubMed, Cochrane and Embase databases as well as laboratory experience of authors. CONTENT Among the 86 studies retrieved, 17 used the dPCR applied to parasites belonging to protozoa (8), helminths (8) and arthropods (1) of clinical human interest. dPCR was adopted in four studies, respectively, for Plasmodium and Schistosoma japonicum. dPCR led to clear advantages over quantitative real-time PCR in P. falciparum and spp., and in S. japonicum showing higher sensitivity; and in Cryptosporidium with higher stability to inhibitors from stool. For all parasites, dPCR allows absolute quantitation without the need of a standard curve. Various dPCR platforms were used. A few critical factors need consideration: DNA load, choice of platform and reaction optimization. IMPLICATIONS Owing to its sensitivity and quantitative characteristics, dPCR is a potential candidate to become an appealing new method among the molecular technologies for parasite detection and quantitative analysis in the future. In general, it has more applications than genomic DNA detection only, such as quantitation in mixed infections, gene expression and mutation analysis. dPCR should be considered in malaria screening and diagnosis as a complement to routine assays and in schistosomiasis elimination programmes. Standardized strategies and further studies are needed for the integration of dPCR in routine clinical laboratory.
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49
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Kotepui KU, Kotepui M, Punsawad C. Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice Related to Malaria Diagnosis among Healthcare Workers in Hospitals: A Cross-Sectional Survey. J Trop Med 2019; 2019:1414079. [PMID: 31285744 PMCID: PMC6594246 DOI: 10.1155/2019/1414079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2019] [Revised: 05/01/2019] [Accepted: 05/27/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Malaria is a potential medical emergency and should be treated immediately because delays in diagnosis and treatment are the leading causes of death in many countries. This study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice related to malaria diagnosis for early detection among healthcare workers in the laboratories of hospitals in Thailand. The design of the study was a descriptive cross-sectional study carried out between January 2016 and March 2017 at 11 hospitals in Thailand. The interviewees included any scientists who were currently working in a medical laboratory. Mean scores for knowledge, attitude, and practice for each healthcare group were calculated and compared between groups. Data analysis was performed using the SPSS version 11.5 software package (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA). Among a total of 118 healthcare workers, most of the healthcare workers had fair to good knowledge, attitude, and practice related to malaria detection. Among the various positions of healthcare workers, medical technologists possessed a greater knowledge on malaria detection than medical technician assistants or laboratory assistants (X2 = 9.822, d.f. = 2, and P value=0.007). This study infers that knowledge, attitude, and practice related to malaria detection among healthcare workers in laboratories were adequate. However, some points of knowledge and practice must be updated. There is a very urgent need to update knowledge on malaria, especially about the number of Plasmodium species causing relapse in malaria patients. In addition, there is an urgent need to update the practice related to malaria detection, especially about the staining process for early detection of malaria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kwuntida Uthaisar Kotepui
- Medical Technology Program, School of Allied Health Sciences, Walailak University, Nakhon Si Thammarat 80160, Thailand
| | - Manas Kotepui
- Medical Technology Program, School of Allied Health Sciences, Walailak University, Nakhon Si Thammarat 80160, Thailand
| | - Chuchard Punsawad
- School of Medicine, Walailak University, Nakhon Si Thammarat 80160, Thailand
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50
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The role of monitoring and evaluation to ensure functional access to community-based early diagnosis and treatment in a malaria elimination programme in Eastern Myanmar. Malar J 2019; 18:50. [PMID: 30795764 PMCID: PMC6387481 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-019-2677-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2018] [Accepted: 02/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Improving access to early diagnosis and treatment (EDT) has increasingly proven to be a major contributor to decreasing malaria incidence in low-transmission settings. The Malaria Elimination Task Force (METF) has deployed malaria posts set up in Eastern Myanmar, providing free uninterrupted community-based access to EDT in more than 1200 villages. Ensuring high quality services are provided by these malaria posts is essential to reaching elimination targets. The present study aimed to determine the functionality of the malaria posts in the METF programme. METHODS This report analysed routinely collected data (weekly reports, individual consultation, diagnostic test quality control) and data collected specifically during monitoring and evaluation visits using descriptive statistics and univariate logistic regression. The presence of major dysfunctions (stock-outs and reported closing; likely to impair the ability of the population to access EDT) or minor dysfunctions (no formal METF training, lack of regular salary, forms and manual not on-site, and low frequency of supervisor visits) and the ability to anticipate dysfunctions through analysis of weekly reports were assessed. RESULTS A total of 65% of malaria posts had no major dysfunction identified during monitoring and evaluation visits, while 86% of malaria posts were fully stocked with tests and medicines used for treatment. Diagnosis was correctly conducted with few false positives and rare mis-speciation of results. Malaria post worker knowledge of malaria treatments showed few gaps, mostly in the treatment of more complex presentations. Malaria posts were well utilized in the population, with 94% of consultations occurring within the first 3 days of fever. In the regression analysis, reported stock-outs and delayed weekly reports were associated with observed major and minor dysfunctions in monitoring and evaluation visits, emphasizing the need to reinforce support to malaria post supervisors, who were responsible for the local logistics of supply and data transmission and day-to-day supervision. CONCLUSION The malaria posts operating under the METF programme perform to a high standard, with the majority offering uninterrupted access to diagnosis and treatment, and high service uptake in the villages serviced by the programme. However, programme operations can be strengthened by increasing malaria post supervisor visits and re-training malaria post workers.
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