Developing national treatment policy for falciparum malaria in Africa: Malawi experience.
The emergence and spread across sub-Saharan Africa of Plasmodium falciparum resistant to the inexpensive antimalarials chloroquine and sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine has worsened the health and hampered the socio-economic development of affected countries, a situation that calls for urgent review of malaria treatment policies in these countries. The Roll Back Malaria (RBM) initiative promotes strong partnerships for implementing effective malaria control measures. The development of clear policies to guide such implementation at country level offers a way of assessing the achievement of set milestones in this collaborative venture. In this article we describe the policy development process for the treatment of falciparum malaria in Africa, based on experience in Malawi, where the first-line drug treatment was recently changed from sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine to an artemisinin combination therapy.
Malenga
Grace
G
Malaria Alert Centre, College of Medicine, Private Bag 360, Chichiri, Blantyre 3, Malawi. gjmalenga@sdnp.org.mw
Wirima
Jack
J
Kazembe
Peter
P
Nyasulu
Yohane
Y
Mbvundula
Michael
M
Nyirenda
Cooper
C
Sungani
Francis
F
Campbell
Carl
C
Molyneux
Malcolm
M
Bronzan
Rachel
R
Dodoli
Wilfred
W
Ali
Doreen
D
Kabuluzi
Storn
S
D000962:Antimalarials / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D037621:Artemisinins / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004351:Drug Resistance; D006291:Health Policy / Q000191:economics; D006801:Humans; D016778:Malaria, Falciparum / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000187:drug effects
D000962:Antimalarials; D037621:Artemisinins