Residual antimalarials in malaria patients from Tanzania - implications on drug efficacy assessment and spread of parasite resistance (Publications)
BACKGROUND: Repeated antimalarial treatment for febrile episodes and self-treatment are common in malaria-endemic areas. The intake of antimalarials prior to participating in an in vivo study may alter treatment [...] n of both efficacy and safety outcomes. We report the findings from baseline plasma sampling of malaria patients prior to inclusion into an in vivo study in Tanzania and discuss the implications of residual
Low quality of routine microscopy for malaria at different levels of the health system in Dar es Salaam (Publications)
confirm malaria cases in Tanzania is low and presumptive treatment of malaria is being practiced widely. In malaria endemic areas WHO now recommends systematic laboratory testing when suspecting malaria. Currently [...] Currently, the use of Rapid Diagnostic Tests (RDTs) is recommended for the diagnosis of malaria in lower level peripheral facilities, but not in health centres and hospitals. In this study, the following [...] quality of routine microscopy, and (2) the effects of RDT...
Malaria treatment in the retail sector: knowledge and practices of drug sellers in rural Tanzania (Publications)
of Kilombero and Ulanga, Tanzania, we interviewed 489 shopkeepers about their knowledge of malaria and malaria treatment. A complementary mystery shoppers study was conducted in 118 retail outlets in order [...] general shops. RESULTS: Shopkeepers in drug stores were able to name more malaria symptoms and were more knowledgeable about malaria treatment than their peers in general shops. In drug stores, 52% mentioned [...] case. CONCLUSIONS: The quality of malaria case-management in the retail...
Estimating the burden of malaria in Senegal: Bayesian zero-inflated binomial geostatistical modeling of the MIS 2008 data (Publications)
(CRDH) with the technical assistance of ICF Macro and the National Malaria Control Programme (NMCP) conducted in 2008/2009 the Senegal Malaria Indicator Survey (SMIS), the first nationally representative household [...] household survey collecting parasitological data and malaria-related indicators. In this paper, we present spatially explicit parasitaemia risk estimates and number of infected children below 5 years. [...] infected children under the age of 5 years is Kolda (13940). The...
Modeling the public health impact of malaria vaccines for developers and policymakers (Publications)
of malaria vaccines as complements to existing interventions. However, the complexity of such models may make their outputs inaccessible to non-modeling specialists. This paper describes a Malaria Vaccine [...] BACKGROUND: Efforts to develop malaria vaccines show promise. Mathematical model-based estimates of the potential demand, public health impact, and cost and financing requirements can be used to inform [...] functionality was demonstrated by estimating the public health impact of a...
MalariaSphere: a greenhouse-enclosed simulation of a natural <em>Anopheles gambiae</em> (Diptera: Culicidae) ecosystem in western Kenya (Publications)
BACKGROUND: The development and implementation of innovative vector control strategies for malaria control in Africa requires in-depth ecological studies in contained semi-field environments. This particularly [...] to significantly enhance our understanding of the behavioural and evolutionary ecology of African malaria vectors and our ability to develop and evaluate innovative control strategies. With regard to ge
Do health workers' preferences influence their practices? Assessment of providers' attitude and personal use of new treatment recommendations for... (Publications)
Tanzania changed malaria treatment policies twice within a decade. First in 2001 chloroquine (CQ) was replaced by sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP) for management of uncomplicated malaria and by late 2006 [...] by enquiring which antimalarial was considered most suitable for the management of uncomplicated malaria for the three patient categories: i) children below 5; ii) older children and adults; and iii) pregnant [...] pregnant women. Practice was ascertained by asking which antimalarial was...
Mapping malaria risk among children in Côte d'Ivoire using Bayesian geo-statistical models (Publications)
estimated 767,000 disability-adjusted life years are due to malaria, placing the country at position number 14 with regard to the global burden of malaria. Risk maps are important to guide control interventions [...] ons, and hence, the aim of this study was to predict the geographical distribution of malaria infection risk in children aged
Epidemiology and clinical features of vivax malaria imported to Europe: sentinel surveillance data from TropNetEurop (Publications)
Plasmodium vivax is the second most common species among malaria patients diagnosed in Europe, but epidemiological and clinical data on imported P. vivax malaria are limited. The TropNetEurop surveillance network [...] network has monitored the importation of vivax malaria into Europe since 1999. OBJECTIVES: To present epidemiological and clinical data on imported P. vivax malaria collected at European level. MATERIAL AND [...] AND METHODS: Data of primary cases of P. vivax malaria reported...
Agrochemicals against malaria, sleeping sickness, leishmaniasis and Chagas disease (Publications)
In tropical regions, protozoan parasites can cause severe diseases with malaria, leishmaniasis, sleeping sickness, and Chagas disease standing in the forefront. Many of the drugs currently being used to