title: Assessment of malaria control consultation and service posts in Yunnan, P. R. China.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This paper seeks to assess the function of malaria control consultation and service posts (MCCSPs) that are located on the border areas of Yunnan province, P.R. China, as a strategy for eliminating malaria among the mobile and migrant population in these areas.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective descriptive analytical study was conducted. Blood smear examinations conducted at all MCCSPs in Yunnan from 2008 to 2014 were analysed. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in 2014 to understand how the MCCSPs function and to elucidate the quality of the blood smear examinations that they conduct.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Out of the surveyed MCCSPs, 66 % (39/59), 22 % (13/59), and 12 % (7/59) were attached to local township hospitals, village health clinics, and the county centre for disease control and prevention or private clinics, respectively. More than 64 % (38/59) of the posts' staff were part-time workers from township hospitals and village health facilities. Less than 31 % (18/59) of the posts' staff were full-time workers. A total of 35 positive malaria cases were reported from seven MCCSPs in 2014. Four MCCSPs were unable to perform their functions due to under staffing in 2014. There was a small fluctuation in blood smear examinations from January 2008 to June 2009, with two peaks during the period from July 2009 to October 2010. The number of blood smear examinations has been increasing since 2011. The yearly mean number of blood smear examinations in each post increased from 44 per month in 2011 to 109 per month in 2014, and the number of positive malaria cases detected by blood smear examinations has declined (χ2= 90.67, P = 0.000). The percentage of people from Yingjiang county getting blood smear examinations increased between 2008 and 2014, while percentages of the mobile population including Myanmar people, people from other provinces, and people from other Yunnan counties getting blood smear examinations decreased.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  MCCSPs face challenges in the phase of malaria elimination in Yunnan, China. New case detection strategies should be designed for MCCSPs taking into account the current trends of migration.
authors.affiliation: Yunnan Institute of Parasitic Disease, 6 Xiyuan Road, Pu'er, 665000, Yunnan, China.
authors.forename: Xu-Can
authors.initials: XC
authors.lastname: Zeng
authors.affiliation: Yunnan Institute of Parasitic Disease, 6 Xiyuan Road, Pu'er, 665000, Yunnan, China.
authors.forename: Xiao-Dong
authors.initials: XD
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Yunnan Institute of Parasitic Disease, 6 Xiyuan Road, Pu'er, 665000, Yunnan, China.
authors.forename: Jian-Xiong
authors.initials: JX
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Yunnan Institute of Parasitic Disease, 6 Xiyuan Road, Pu'er, 665000, Yunnan, China.
authors.forename: Meng-Ni
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Yunnan Institute of Parasitic Disease, 6 Xiyuan Road, Pu'er, 665000, Yunnan, China.
authors.forename: Dao-Wei
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Deng
authors.affiliation: Yunnan Institute of Parasitic Disease, 6 Xiyuan Road, Pu'er, 665000, Yunnan, China.
authors.forename: Cang-Lin
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Yunnan Institute of Parasitic Disease, 6 Xiyuan Road, Pu'er, 665000, Yunnan, China.
authors.forename: Zu-Rui
authors.initials: ZR
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Yunnan Institute of Parasitic Disease, 6 Xiyuan Road, Pu'er, 665000, Yunnan, China.
authors.forename: Zi-You
authors.initials: ZY
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Yunnan Institute of Parasitic Disease, 6 Xiyuan Road, Pu'er, 665000, Yunnan, China.
authors.forename: Yao-Wu
authors.initials: YW
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Yunnan Institute of Parasitic Disease, 6 Xiyuan Road, Pu'er, 665000, Yunnan, China.
authors.forename: Ya-Ming
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Surveillance and Early-warning on Infectious Disease, Division of Infectious Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 155 Changbai Road, Changping District, Beijing, 102206, People's Republic of China. zhousheng@chinacdc.cn.
authors.forename: Sheng
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhou
mesh_terms: D001800:Blood Specimen Collection / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002681:China; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D006268:Health Facilities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008288:Malaria / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014171:Transients and Migrants / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
keywords: Border areas; China; Examination stations; Malaria; Mobile and migrant population; Myanmar; Yunnan