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Rahmalia A, Poespoprodjo JR, Landuwulang CUR, Ronse M, Kenangalem E, Burdam FH, Thriemer K, Devine A, Price RN, Peeters Grietens K, Ley B, Gryseels C. Adherence to 14-day radical cure for Plasmodium vivax malaria in Papua, Indonesia: a mixed-methods study. Malar J 2023; 22:162. [PMID: 37210520 PMCID: PMC10199529 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-023-04578-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2022] [Accepted: 04/25/2023] [Indexed: 05/22/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Reducing the risk of recurrent Plasmodium vivax malaria is critical for malaria control and elimination. Primaquine (PQ) is the only widely available drug against P. vivax dormant liver stages, but is recommended as a 14-day regimen, which can undermine adherence to a complete course of treatment. METHODS This is a mixed-methods study to assess socio-cultural factors influencing adherence to a 14-day PQ regimen in a 3-arm, treatment effectiveness trial in Papua, Indonesia. The qualitative strand, consisting of interviews and participant observation was triangulated with a quantitative strand in which trial participants were surveyed using a questionnaire. RESULTS Trial participants differentiated between two types of malaria: tersiana and tropika, equivalent to P. vivax and Plasmodium falciparum infection, respectively. The perceived severity of both types was similar with 44.0% (267/607) perceiving tersiana vs. 45.1% (274/607) perceiving tropika as more severe. There was no perceived differentiation whether malaria episodes were due to a new infection or relapse; and 71.3% (433/607) acknowledged the possibility of recurrence. Participants were familiar with malaria symptoms and delaying health facility visit by 1-2 days was perceived to increase the likelihood of a positive test. Prior to health facility visits, symptoms were treated with leftover drugs kept at home (40.4%; 245/607) or bought over the counter (17.0%; 103/607). Malaria was considered to be cured with 'blue drugs' (referring to dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine). Conversely, 'brown drugs,' referring to PQ, were not considered malaria medication and instead were perceived as supplements. Adherence to malaria treatment was 71.2% (131/184), in the supervised arm, 56.9% (91/160) in the unsupervised arm and 62.4% (164/263) in the control arm; p = 0.019. Adherence was 47.5% (47/99) among highland Papuans, 51.7% (76/147) among lowland Papuans, and 72.9% (263/361) among non-Papuans; p < 0.001. CONCLUSION Adherence to malaria treatment was a socio-culturally embedded process during which patients (re-)evaluated the characteristics of the medicines in relation to the course of the illness, their past experiences with illness, and the perceived benefits of the treatment. Structural barriers that hinder the process of patient adherence are crucial to consider in the development and rollout of effective malaria treatment policies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annisa Rahmalia
- Timika Malaria Research Programme, Papuan Health and Community Development Foundation, Timika, Indonesia.
- Global and Tropical Health Division, Menzies School of Health Research and Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Australia.
- Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium.
| | - Jeanne Rini Poespoprodjo
- Timika Malaria Research Programme, Papuan Health and Community Development Foundation, Timika, Indonesia
- Mimika District Hospital, Timika, Indonesia
- Paediatric Research Office, Department of Child Health, Faculty of Medicine, Public Health and Nursing, Universitas Gadjah Mada/Dr. Sardjito Hospital, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
| | - Chandra U R Landuwulang
- Timika Malaria Research Programme, Papuan Health and Community Development Foundation, Timika, Indonesia
| | - Maya Ronse
- Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Enny Kenangalem
- Timika Malaria Research Programme, Papuan Health and Community Development Foundation, Timika, Indonesia
- Mimika Regency Health Authority, Timika, Papua, Indonesia
| | - Faustina H Burdam
- Timika Malaria Research Programme, Papuan Health and Community Development Foundation, Timika, Indonesia
- Mimika Regency Health Authority, Timika, Papua, Indonesia
| | - Kamala Thriemer
- Global and Tropical Health Division, Menzies School of Health Research and Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Australia
| | - Angela Devine
- Global and Tropical Health Division, Menzies School of Health Research and Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Australia
- Centre for Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Ric N Price
- Global and Tropical Health Division, Menzies School of Health Research and Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Australia
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit (MORU), Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Koen Peeters Grietens
- Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
- School of Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Benedikt Ley
- Global and Tropical Health Division, Menzies School of Health Research and Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Australia
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Engel N, Ghergu C, Matin MA, Kibria MG, Thriemer K, Price RN, Ding XC, Howes RE, Ley B, Incardona S, Alam MS. Implementing radical cure diagnostics for malaria: user perspectives on G6PD testing in Bangladesh. Malar J 2021; 20:217. [PMID: 33980257 PMCID: PMC8114691 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-021-03743-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2020] [Accepted: 04/20/2021] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The radical cure of Plasmodium vivax requires treatment with an 8-aminoquinoline drug, such as primaquine and tafenoquine, to eradicate liver hypnozoite stages, which can reactivate to cause relapsing infections. Safe treatment regimens require prior screening of patients for glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency to avoid potential life-threatening drug induced haemolysis. Testing is rarely available in malaria endemic countries, but will be needed to support routine use of radical cure. This study investigates end-user perspectives in Bangladesh on the introduction of a quantitative G6PD test (SD Biosensor STANDARD™ G6PD analyser) to support malaria elimination. METHODS The perspectives of users on the SD Biosensor test were analysed using semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions with health care providers and malaria programme officers in Bangladesh. Key emerging themes regarding the feasibility of introducing this test into routine practice, including perceived barriers, were analysed. RESULTS In total 63 participants were interviewed. Participants emphasized the life-saving potential of the biosensor, but raised concerns including the impact of limited staff time, high workload and some technical aspects of the device. Participants highlighted that there are both too few and too many P. vivax patients to implement G6PD testing owing to challenges of funding, workload and complex testing infrastructure. Implementing the biosensor would require flexibility and improvisation to deal with remote sites, overcoming a low index of suspicion and mutual interplay of declining patient numbers and reluctance to test. This approach would generate new forms of evidence to justify introduction in policy and carefully consider questions of deployment given declining patient numbers. CONCLUSIONS The results of the study show that, in an elimination context, the importance of malaria needs to be maintained for both policy makers and the affected communities, in this case by ensuring P. vivax, PQ treatment, and G6PD deficiency remain visible. Availability of new technologies, such as the biosensor, will fuel ongoing debates about priorities for allocating resources that must be adapted to a constantly evolving target. Technical and logistical concerns regarding the biosensor should be addressed by future product designs, adequate training, strengthened supply chains, and careful planning of communication, advocacy and staff interactions at all health system levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nora Engel
- Department of Health, Ethics & Society, Research School for Public Health and Primary Care (CAPHRI), Faculty of Health, Medicine & Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands.
| | - Cristian Ghergu
- Department of Health, Ethics & Society, Research School for Public Health and Primary Care (CAPHRI), Faculty of Health, Medicine & Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Mohammad Abdul Matin
- Infectious Diseases Division, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b), Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Mohammad Golam Kibria
- Infectious Diseases Division, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b), Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Kamala Thriemer
- Global and Tropical Health Division, Menzies School of Health Research, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, NT, Australia
| | - Ric N Price
- Global and Tropical Health Division, Menzies School of Health Research, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, NT, Australia
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Xavier C Ding
- Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND), Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Rosalind E Howes
- Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND), Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Benedikt Ley
- Global and Tropical Health Division, Menzies School of Health Research, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, NT, Australia
| | - Sandra Incardona
- Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND), Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Mohammad Shafiul Alam
- Infectious Diseases Division, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b), Dhaka, Bangladesh
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