Appropriate targeting of artemisinin-based combination therapy by community health workers using malaria rapid diagnostic tests: Findings from randomized trials in two contrasting areas of high and low malaria transmission in south western Uganda.

CONCLUSION: When equipped with mRDTs, ACT treatments delivered by CHWs are more accurately targeted to children with malaria parasites. mRDT use could play an important role in reducing overdiagnosis of malaria and improving fever case management within iCCM, in both moderate-to-high and low transmission areas. Nonetheless, missed treatments due to the low sensitivity of current mRDTs in patients with low parasite density are a concern. For community-based treatment in areas of low transmission and/or non-immune populations, presumptive treatment of all fevers as malaria may be advisable, until more sensitive diagnostic assays, suitable for routine use by CHWs in remote settings, become available. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. PMID: 27383558 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Source: Rural Remote Health - Category: Rural Health Authors: Tags: Trop Med Int Health Source Type: research