Presumptive Treatment of Fever Cases as Malaria: Help or Hindrance for Malaria Control?
Author Information
Author(s): Roly D Gosling, Christopher J Drakeley, Alex Mwita, Daniel Chandramohan
Primary Institution: London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
Hypothesis
The authors explore an argument that presumptive treatment of fever cases as malaria may have played a role in reducing transmission of malaria.
Conclusion
The study suggests that while presumptive treatment may help reduce malaria transmission, it also risks increasing drug resistance.
Supporting Evidence
- Malaria incidence has been reported to be falling in several countries in sub-Saharan Africa.
- The decline in malaria predates the widespread use of insecticide-treated nets.
- Presumptive treatment of fever has been a common practice in malaria control for decades.
Takeaway
The idea is that treating fever as malaria might help stop the spread of malaria, but it could also make the medicine less effective over time.
Potential Biases
There is a risk of over-diagnosis of malaria cases due to presumptive treatment.
Limitations
The study acknowledges that the fall in malaria cases is likely due to multiple factors, making it hard to isolate the impact of presumptive treatment.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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