title: The role of early detection and treatment in malaria elimination.
abstract: Falciparum malaria persists in hard-to-reach areas or demographic groups that are missed by conventional healthcare systems but could be reached by trained community members in a malaria post (MP). The main focus of a MP is to provide uninterrupted and rapid access to rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) and artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) too all inhabitants of a village. RDTs allow trained community members to perform malaria diagnosis accurately and prescribe appropriate treatment, reducing as much as possible any delay between the onset of fever and treatment. Early treatment with ACT and with a low-dose of primaquine prevents further transmission from human to mosquito. A functioning MP represents an essential component of any malaria elimination strategy. Implementing large-scale, high-coverage, community-based early diagnosis and treatment through MPs requires few technological innovations but relies on a very well structured organization able to train, supervise and supply MPs, to monitor activity and to perform strict malaria surveillance.
authors.affiliation: Shoklo Malaria Research Unit, Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Mae Sot, Thailand. jordi.landier@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Jordi
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-8619-9775
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Landier
authors.affiliation: Shoklo Malaria Research Unit, Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Mae Sot, Thailand.
authors.forename: Daniel M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Parker
authors.affiliation: Shoklo Malaria Research Unit, Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Mae Sot, Thailand.
authors.forename: Aung Myint
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Thu
authors.affiliation: Shoklo Malaria Research Unit, Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Mae Sot, Thailand.
authors.forename: Verena I
authors.initials: VI
authors.lastname: Carrara
authors.affiliation: Shoklo Malaria Research Unit, Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Mae Sot, Thailand.
authors.forename: Khin Maung
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Lwin
authors.affiliation: Shoklo Malaria Research Unit, Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Mae Sot, Thailand.
authors.forename: Craig A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Bonnington
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.
authors.forename: Sasithon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pukrittayakamee
authors.affiliation: Shoklo Malaria Research Unit, Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Mae Sot, Thailand.
authors.forename: Gilles
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Delmas
authors.affiliation: Shoklo Malaria Research Unit, Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Mae Sot, Thailand.|Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
authors.forename: François H
authors.initials: FH
authors.lastname: Nosten
mesh_terms: D000962:Antimalarials / Q000627:therapeutic use; D037621:Artemisinins / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003955:Diagnostic Tests, Routine / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D060740:Disease Eradication / Q000379:methods*; D018562:Disease Transmission, Infectious / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D042241:Early Diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D007783:Lactones / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008288:Malaria / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011319:Primaquine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D055502:Secondary Prevention
chemical_list: D000962:Antimalarials; D037621:Artemisinins; D007783:Lactones; D011319:Primaquine; C075875:artemisin