Abstract
Guido Bastiaens and colleagues describe barriers to achieving scale-up and appropriate use of rapid diagnostic tests and artemisinin-based combination therapy for malaria in sub-Saharan Africa. Please see later in the article for the Editors' Summary.
Highlights
An estimated 627,000 malaria deaths occurred in 2012, mostly in African children and many of them preventable with prompt diagnosis and treatment [1]
N Barriers to rational use of tests and drugs may be overcome through appropriate policy design for the local health service setting, which addresses health worker practice and patient perceptions
Similar findings were seen in Tanzania (3/603 [0.5%] of malaria rapid diagnostic test (RDT)-negative patients developed malaria within 7 days) [23]
Summary
An estimated 627,000 malaria deaths occurred in 2012, mostly in African children and many of them preventable with prompt diagnosis and treatment [1]. T3 aims to address the widespread problem of poor access to diagnostic testing and antimalarial treatment, and to enhance case-reporting. It sets a target of universal access to diagnostic testing in the public and private health care sector by 2015 [1,2]. Achieving this goal will centre on the use of malaria rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs). In this Policy Forum article we examine the operational challenges to implementing the T3 strategy of scaling up and maintaining RDT coverage. The Policy Forum allows health policy makers around the world to discuss challenges and opportunities for improving health care in their societies
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