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Reduction in symptomatic malaria prevalence through proactive community treatment in rural Senegal
Author(s) -
Linn Annē M.,
Ndiaye Youssoupha,
Hennessee Ian,
Gaye Seynabou,
Linn Patrick,
Nordstrom Karin,
McLaughlin Matt
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
tropical medicine and international health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.056
H-Index - 114
eISSN - 1365-3156
pISSN - 1360-2276
DOI - 10.1111/tmi.12564
Subject(s) - malaria , medicine , rural community , environmental health , geography , socioeconomics , immunology , sociology
Objectives We piloted a community‐based proactive malaria case detection model in rural Senegal to evaluate whether this model can increase testing and treatment and reduce prevalence of symptomatic malaria in target communities. Methods Home care providers conducted weekly sweeps of every household in their village throughout the transmission season to identify patients with symptoms of malaria, perform rapid diagnostic tests (RDT) on symptomatic patients and provide treatment for positive cases. The model was implemented in 15 villages from July to November 2013, the high transmission season. Fifteen comparison villages were chosen from those implementing Senegal's original, passive model of community case management of malaria. Three sweeps were conducted in the comparison villages to compare prevalence of symptomatic malaria using difference in differences analysis. Results At baseline, prevalence of symptomatic malaria confirmed by RDT for all symptomatic individuals found during sweeps was similar in both sets of villages ( P = 0.79). At end line, prevalence was 16 times higher in the comparison villages than in the intervention villages ( P = 0.003). Adjusting for potential confounders, the intervention was associated with a 30‐fold reduction in odds of symptomatic malaria in the intervention villages (AOR = 0.033; 95% CI: 0.017, 0.065). Treatment seeking also increased in the intervention villages, with 57% of consultations by home care providers conducted between sweeps through routine community case management. Conclusions This pilot study suggests that community‐based proactive case detection reduces symptomatic malaria prevalence, likely through more timely case management and improved care seeking behaviour. A randomised controlled trial is needed to further evaluate the impact of this model.