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Irimu G, Gupta P, English M. Global child mortality falls to historic low. BMJ 2024; 385:q1077. [PMID: 38760068 DOI: 10.1136/bmj.q1077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/19/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Grace Irimu
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Piyush Gupta
- University College of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Mike English
- Health Systems Collaborative, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Health Services Unit, KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Nairobi, Kenya
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Loechl CU, Datta-Mitra A, Fenlason L, Green R, Hackl L, Itzkowitz L, Koso-Thomas M, Moorthy D, Owino VO, Pachón H, Stoffel N, Zimmerman MB, Raiten DJ. Approaches to Address the Anemia Challenge. J Nutr 2023; 153 Suppl 1:S42-S59. [PMID: 37714779 PMCID: PMC10797550 DOI: 10.1016/j.tjnut.2023.07.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2022] [Revised: 07/21/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 09/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Anemia is a multifactorial condition; approaches to address it must recognize that the causal factors represent an ecology consisting of internal (biology, genetics, and health) and external (social/behavioral/demographic and physical) environments. In this paper, we present an approach for selecting interventions, followed by a description of key issues related to the multiple available interventions for prevention and reduction of anemia. We address interventions for anemia using the following 2 main categories: 1) those that address nutrients alone, and, 2) those that address nonnutritional causes of anemia. The emphasis will be on interventions of public health relevance, but we also consider the clinical context. We also focus on interventions at different stages of the life course, with a particular focus on women of reproductive age and preschool-age children, and present evidence on various factors to consider when selecting an intervention-inflammation, genetic mutations, nutrient delivery, bioavailability, and safety. Each section on an intervention domain concludes with a brief discussion of key research areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cornelia U Loechl
- Division of Human Health, International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna, Austria
| | - Ananya Datta-Mitra
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Lindy Fenlason
- Bureau for Global Health, USAID, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Ralph Green
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Laura Hackl
- USAID Advancing Nutrition, John Snow Inc., Arlington, VA, United States
| | - Laura Itzkowitz
- Bureau for Global Health, USAID, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Marion Koso-Thomas
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, Unites States
| | - Denish Moorthy
- USAID Advancing Nutrition, John Snow Inc., Arlington, VA, United States.
| | | | - Helena Pachón
- Food Fortification Initiative, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Nicole Stoffel
- Laboratory of Human Nutrition, Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zurich, Zu¨rich, Switzerland; MRC Human Immunology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK
| | - Michael B Zimmerman
- MRC Human Immunology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK
| | - Daniel J Raiten
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, Unites States
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He W, Sendor R, Potlapalli VR, Kashamuka MM, Tshefu AK, Phanzu F, Kalonji A, Ngasala B, Thwai KL, Juliano JJ, Lin JT, Parr JB. A novel duplex qualitative real-time PCR assay for the detection and differentiation of Plasmodium ovale curtisi and Plasmodium ovale wallikeri malaria. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2023:2023.10.31.23297819. [PMID: 37961397 PMCID: PMC10635243 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.31.23297819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
Background P. ovale spp. infections are endemic across multiple African countries and are caused by two distinct non-recombining species, P. ovale curtisi (Poc) and P. ovale wallikeri (Pow). These species are thought to differ in clinical symptomatology and latency, but existing diagnostic assays have limited ability to detect and distinguish them. In this study, we developed a new duplex assay for the detection and differentiation of Poc and Pow that can be used to improve our understanding of these parasites. Methods Repetitive sequence motifs were identified in available Poc and Pow genomes and used for assay development and validation. We evaluated the analytical sensitivity and specificity of the best-performing assay using a panel of samples from Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), then validated its performance using 55 P. ovale spp. samples and 40 non-ovale Plasmodium samples from the DRC. Poc and Pow prevalence among symptomatic individuals sampled across three provinces of the DRC were estimated. Results The best-performing Poc and Pow targets had 9 and 8 copies within the reference genomes, respectively. Our duplex assay had 100% specificity and 95% confidence lower limits of detection of 4.2 and 41.2 parasite genome equivalents/μl for Poc and Pow, respectively. Species was determined in 80% of all P. ovale spp.-positive field samples and 100% of those with >10 parasites/μl. Most P. ovale spp. field samples from the DRC were found to be Poc infections. Conclusions We identified promising multi-copy targets for molecular detection and differentiation of Poc and Pow and used them to develop a new duplex real-time PCR assay that performed well when applied to diverse field samples. Though low-density Pow infections are not reliably detected, the assay is highly specific and can be used for high-throughput studies of P. ovale spp. epidemiology among symptomatic cases in malaria-endemic countries like the DRC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenqiao He
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Research, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Rachel Sendor
- Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Varun R. Potlapalli
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | | | | | | | | | - Billy Ngasala
- Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - Kyaw Lay Thwai
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Jonathan J. Juliano
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
- Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Jessica T. Lin
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Jonathan B. Parr
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
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Tangena JAA, Mategula D, Sedda L, Atkinson PM. Unravelling the impact of insecticide-treated bed nets on childhood malaria in Malawi. Malar J 2023; 22:16. [PMID: 36635658 PMCID: PMC9837906 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-023-04448-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2022] [Accepted: 01/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND To achieve malaria elimination it is essential to understand the impact of insecticide-treated net (ITNs) programmes. Here, the impact of ITN access and use on malaria prevalence in children in Malawi was investigated using Malaria Indicator Survey (MIS) data. METHODS MIS data from 2012, 2014 and 2017 were used to investigate the relationship between malaria prevalence in children (6-59 months) and ITN use. Generalized linear modelling (GLM), geostatistical mixed regression modelling and non-stationary GLM were undertaken to evaluate trends, spatial patterns and local dynamics, respectively. RESULTS Malaria prevalence in Malawi was 27.1% (95% CI 23.1-31.2%) in 2012 and similar in both 2014 (32.1%, 95% CI 25.5-38.7) and 2017 (23.9%, 95% CI 20.3-27.4%). ITN coverage and use increased during the same time period, with household ITN access growing from 19.0% (95% CI 15.6-22.3%) of households with at least 1 ITN for every 2 people sleeping in the house the night before to 41.7% (95% CI 39.1-44.4%) and ITN use from 41.1% (95% CI 37.3-44.9%) of the population sleeping under an ITN the previous night to 57.4% (95% CI 55.0-59.9%). Both the geostatistical and non-stationary GLM regression models showed child malaria prevalence had a negative association with ITN population access and a positive association with ITN use although affected by large uncertainties. The non-stationary GLM highlighted the spatital heterogeneity in the relationship between childhood malaria and ITN dynamics across the country. CONCLUSION Malaria prevalence in children under five had a negative association with ITN population access and a positive association with ITN use, with spatial heterogeneity in these relationships across Malawi. This study presents an important modelling approach that allows malaria control programmes to spatially disentangle the impact of interventions on malaria cases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie-Anne A. Tangena
- grid.48004.380000 0004 1936 9764Vector Biology Department, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, UK
| | - Donnie Mategula
- grid.48004.380000 0004 1936 9764Vector Biology Department, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, UK ,grid.419393.50000 0004 8340 2442Malawi-Liverpool Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Programme, Blantyre, Malawi
| | - Luigi Sedda
- grid.9835.70000 0000 8190 6402Lancaster Ecology and Epidemiology Group, Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK
| | - Peter M. Atkinson
- grid.9835.70000 0000 8190 6402Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Bailrigg, Lancaster, LA1 4YR UK ,grid.5491.90000 0004 1936 9297Geography and Environmental Science, University of Southampton, Highfield, Southampton, SO17 1BJ UK ,grid.9227.e0000000119573309Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 11A Datun Road, Beijing, 100101 China
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Elmardi KA, Adam I, Malik EM, Kafy HT, Abdin MS, Kleinschmidt I, Kremers S, Gubbels JS. Impact of malaria control interventions on malaria infection and anaemia in low malaria transmission settings: a cross-sectional population-based study in Sudan. BMC Infect Dis 2022; 22:927. [PMID: 36496398 PMCID: PMC9737986 DOI: 10.1186/s12879-022-07926-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2022] [Accepted: 12/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The past two decades were associated with innovation and strengthening of malaria control interventions, which have been increasingly adopted at large scale. Impact evaluations of these interventions were mostly performed in moderate or high malaria transmission areas. This study aimed to evaluate the use and performance of malaria interventions in low transmission areas on malaria infections and anaemia. METHODS Data from the 2016 Sudan malaria indicator survey was used. Multi-level logistic regression analysis was used to assess the strength of association between real-life community-level utilization of malaria interventions [diagnosis, artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) and long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs)] and the study outcomes: malaria infections and anaemia (both overall and moderate-to-severe anaemia). RESULTS The study analysis involved 26,469 individuals over 242 clusters. Malaria infection rate was 7.6%, overall anaemia prevalence was 47.5% and moderate-to-severe anaemia prevalence was 4.5%. The average community-level utilization was 31.5% for malaria diagnosis, 29.9% for ACTs and 35.7% for LLINs. The odds of malaria infection was significantly reduced by 14% for each 10% increase in the utilization of malaria diagnosis (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) per 10% utilization 0.86, 95% CI 0.78-0.95, p = 0.004). However, the odds of infection was positively associated with the utilization of LLINs at community-level (aOR per 10% utilization 1.20, 95% CI 1.11-1.29, p < 0.001). No association between malaria infection and utilization of ACTs was identified (aOR per 10% utilization 0.97, 95% CI 0.91-1.04, p = 0.413). None of the interventions was associated with overall anaemia nor moderate-to-severe anaemia. CONCLUSION There was strong evidence that utilization of malaria diagnosis at the community level was highly protective against malaria infection. No protective effect was seen for community utilization of ACTs or LLINs. No association was established between any of the interventions and overall anaemia or moderate-to-severe anaemia. This lack of effectiveness could be due to the low utilization of interventions or the low level of malaria transmission in the study area. Identification and response to barriers of access and low utilization of malaria interventions are crucial. It is crucial to ensure that every suspected malaria case is tested in a timely way, notably in low transmission settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khalid Abdelmutalab Elmardi
- grid.414827.cHealth Information, Monitoring and Evaluation and Evidence Department, Federal Ministry of Health, Khartoum, Sudan ,grid.5012.60000 0001 0481 6099Department of Health Promotion, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, NUTRIM School of Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Ishag Adam
- grid.412602.30000 0000 9421 8094Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Unaizah College of Medicine and Medical Sciences, Qassim University, Unaizah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Elfatih Mohamed Malik
- grid.9763.b0000 0001 0674 6207Faculty of Medicine, University of Khartoum, Khartoum, Sudan
| | - Hmooda Toto Kafy
- grid.414827.cDirectorate General of Primary Health Care, Federal Ministry of Health, Khartoum, Sudan
| | - Mogahid Sheikheldien Abdin
- grid.414827.cHealth Information, Monitoring and Evaluation and Evidence Department, Federal Ministry of Health, Khartoum, Sudan
| | - Immo Kleinschmidt
- grid.8991.90000 0004 0425 469XMRC International Statistics and Epidemiology Group, Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK ,grid.11951.3d0000 0004 1937 1135Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Pathology, Wits Research Institute for Malaria, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa ,Southern African Development Community Malaria Elimination Eight Secretariat, Windhoek, Namibia
| | - Stef Kremers
- grid.5012.60000 0001 0481 6099Department of Health Promotion, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, NUTRIM School of Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Jessica Sophia Gubbels
- grid.5012.60000 0001 0481 6099Department of Health Promotion, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, NUTRIM School of Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism, Maastricht, The Netherlands
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Obasohan PE, Walters SJ, Jacques R, Khatab K. Individual, household and area predictors of anaemia among children aged 6–59 months in Nigeria. PUBLIC HEALTH IN PRACTICE 2022; 3:100229. [PMID: 36101749 PMCID: PMC9461611 DOI: 10.1016/j.puhip.2022.100229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2021] [Revised: 12/11/2021] [Accepted: 01/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Objectives This study aims to determine the prevalence of anaemia among children aged 6–59 months in all states of Nigeria, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), and to quantify the predicted probabilities by individual, household and area factors. Study design This study is a secondary analysis of data sets from two national representative cross-sectional surveys in Nigeria: the Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (2018 NDHS) and the National Human Development Index (2018 NHDR). The state human development index (HDI) and the state multidimensional poverty index (MPI) from the 2018 NHDR were incorporated into the 2018 NDHS. Methods The study included a weighted sample of 10,222 children aged 6–59 months. Both univariate and bivariate analyses were computed to determine the prevalence and factors associated with anaemia status, respectively. Multiple binary logistic regression analyses with adjusted predicted probabilities (APPs) were performed to quantify the predictors’ probabilities. Results The prevalence of anaemia among children aged 6–59 months in Nigeria was 68.1% (6962/10,222). Zamfara state had the highest prevalence (84.0% [266/317]), while Kaduna state recorded the lowest (50.0% [283/572]). The APPs of being anaemic decreased from 82.9% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 80.0–85.8) for children aged 6–18 months to 60.6% (95% CI: 56.8–64.4) for children aged 43–59 months, when other predictors were held constant. The APP for a child of an anaemic mother is 10.2% points higher than the APP for a child whose mother is not anaemic. In addition, the APPs for children decreased as the age group of their mothers increased. A child from a state that is mildly deprived in the MPI has a lower APP (67.2% [95% CI: 62.2–72.2]) compared with a child from highly deprived MPI state (79.0% [95% CI: 73.4–84.5]). Conclusions Health strategies, including supplementation programmes, should be carried out at both ante-natal and post-natal clinics to reduce the prevalence of anaemia, especially in vulnerable population groups.
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Elmardi KA, Adam I, Malik EM, Kafy HT, Abdin MS, Kleinschmidt I, Kremers S. Impact of malaria control interventions on malaria infection and anaemia in areas with irrigated schemes: a cross-sectional population-based study in Sudan. BMC Infect Dis 2021; 21:1248. [PMID: 34906083 PMCID: PMC8670187 DOI: 10.1186/s12879-021-06929-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2021] [Accepted: 12/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Background While the overall burden of malaria is still high, the global technical strategy for malaria advocates for two sets of interventions: vector control-based prevention and diagnosis and prompt effective treatment of malaria cases. This study aimed to assess the performance of malaria interventions on malaria infection and anaemia in irrigated areas in Sudan. Methods Based on the Sudan 2016 national malaria indicator survey, data for two states (Gezira and Sennar), characterized by large-irrigated schemes, were analysed. Four community-level malaria interventions were used as contextual variables: utilization of malaria diagnosis, utilization of Artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT), utilization of long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs) and coverage with indoor residual spraying (IRS). Association between these interventions and two outcomes: malaria infection and anaemia, was assessed separately. Malaria infection was assessed in all age groups while anaemia was assessed in children under 5 years. Multilevel multiple logistic regression analysis were conducted. Results Among 4478 individuals involved in this study distributed over 47 clusters, the overall malaria infection rate was 3.0% and 56.5% of the children under 5 years (total = 322) were anaemic. Except for IRS coverage (69.6%), the average utilization of interventions was relatively low: 52.3% for utilization of diagnosis, 33.0% for utilization of ACTs and 18.6% for LLINs utilization. The multi-level multiple logistic regression model showed that only IRS coverage was associated with malaria infection (Odds ratio 0.83 per 10% coverage, 95%Confidence Interval (95%CI) 0.74–0.94, p = 0.003) indicating that a higher level of IRS coverage was associated with less malaria infection. Anaemia was not associated with any intervention (all p values larger than 0.1). Conclusions Malaria transmission in Gezira and Sennar areas is low. IRS, with insecticide to which vectors are susceptible, is an effective malaria control intervention in irrigated schemes. Community utilization of other interventions was not associated with malaria infection in this study. This may be due to the low utilization of these interventions. However, individual use of LLINs provide personal protection. This study failed to establish an association between anaemia and malaria control interventions in low transmission areas. The higher level of malaria infection in urban areas is a cause for concern.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khalid Abdelmutalab Elmardi
- Health Information, Monitoring and Evaluation and Evidence Department, Federal Ministry of Health, Khartoum, Sudan. .,Department of Health Promotion, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, NUTRIM School of Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
| | - Ishag Adam
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Unaizah College of Medicine and Medical Sciences, Qassim University, Unaizah, Saudi Arabia
| | | | - Hmooda Toto Kafy
- Directorate General of Primary Health Care, Federal Ministry of Health, Khartoum, Sudan
| | - Mogahid Sheikheldien Abdin
- Health Information, Monitoring and Evaluation and Evidence Department, Federal Ministry of Health, Khartoum, Sudan
| | - Immo Kleinschmidt
- MRC International Statistics and Epidemiology Group, Departments of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK.,Wits Research Institute for Malaria, School of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.,Southern African Development Community Malaria Elimination Eight Secretariat, Windhoek, Namibia
| | - Stef Kremers
- Department of Health Promotion, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, NUTRIM School of Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism, Maastricht, The Netherlands
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Nice J, Nahusenay H, Eckert E, Eisele TP, Ashton RA. Estimating malaria chemoprevention and vector control coverage using program and campaign data: A scoping review of current practices and opportunities. J Glob Health 2021; 10:020413. [PMID: 33110575 PMCID: PMC7568932 DOI: 10.7189/jogh.10.020413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Accurate estimation of intervention coverage is a vital component of malaria program monitoring and evaluation, both for process evaluation (how well program targets are achieved), and impact evaluation (whether intervention coverage had an impact on malaria burden). There is growing interest in maximizing the utility of program data to generate interim estimates of intervention coverage in the periods between large-scale cross-sectional surveys (the gold standard). As such, this study aimed to identify relevant concepts and themes that may guide future optimization of intervention coverage estimation using routinely collected data, or data collected during and following intervention campaigns, with a particular focus on strategies to define the denominator. Methods We conducted a scoping review of current practices to estimate malaria intervention coverage for insecticide-treated nets (ITNs); indoor residual spray (IRS); intermittent preventive treatment in pregnancy (IPTp); mass drug administration (MDA); and seasonal malaria chemoprevention (SMC) interventions; case management was excluded. Multiple databases were searched for relevant articles published from January 1, 2015 to June 1, 2018. Additionally, we identified and included other guidance relevant to estimating population denominators, with a focus on innovative techniques. Results While program data have the potential to provide intervention coverage data, there are still substantial challenges in selecting appropriate denominators. The review identified a lack of consistency in how coverage was defined and reported for each intervention type, with denominator estimation methods not clearly or consistently reported, and denominator estimates rarely triangulated with other data sources to present the feasible range of denominator values and consequently the range of likely coverage estimates. Conclusions Though household survey-based estimates of intervention coverage remain the gold standard, efforts should be made to further standardize practices for generating interim measurements of intervention coverage from program data, and for estimating and reporting population denominators. This includes fully describing any projections or adjustments made to existing census or population data, exploring opportunities to validate available data by comparing with other sources, and explaining how the denominator has been restricted (or not) to reflect exclusion criteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johanna Nice
- MEASURE Evaluation, Centre for Applied Malaria Research and Evaluation, Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
| | - Honelgn Nahusenay
- MEASURE Evaluation, Centre for Applied Malaria Research and Evaluation, Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
| | - Erin Eckert
- U.S. President's Malaria Initiative, United States Agency for International Development, Washington, D.C., USA.,RTI International, Washington, D.C., USA
| | - Thomas P Eisele
- Centre for Applied Malaria Research and Evaluation, Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
| | - Ruth A Ashton
- MEASURE Evaluation, Centre for Applied Malaria Research and Evaluation, Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
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9
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Oguoma VM, Anyasodor AE, Adeleye AO, Eneanya OA, Mbanefo EC. Multilevel modelling of the risk of malaria among children aged under five years in Nigeria. Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg 2021; 115:482-494. [PMID: 32945885 DOI: 10.1093/trstmh/traa092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2020] [Revised: 08/11/2020] [Accepted: 08/26/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Malaria is still a major cause of morbidity and mortality among children aged <5 y (U5s). This study assessed individual, household and community risk factors for malaria in Nigerian U5s. METHODS Data from the Nigerian Malaria Health Indicator Survey 2015 were pooled for analyses. This comprised a national survey of 329 clusters. Children aged 6-59 mo who were tested for malaria using microscopy were retained. Multilevel logit model accounting for sampling design was used to assess individual, household and community factors associated with malaria parasitaemia. RESULTS A total of 5742 children were assessed for malaria parasitaemia with an overall prevalence of 27% (95% CI 26 to 28%). Plasmodium falciparum constituted 98% of the Plasmodium species. There was no significant difference in parasitaemia between older children and those aged ≤12 mo. In adjusted analyses, rural living, northwest region, a household size of >7, dependence on river and rainwater as primary water source were associated with higher odds of parasitaemia, while higher wealth index, all U5s who slept under a bed net and dependence on packaged water were associated with lower odds of parasitaemia. CONCLUSION Despite sustained investment in malaria control and prevention, a quarter of the overall study population of U5s have malaria. Across the six geopolitical zones, the highest burden was in children living in the poorest rural households.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victor M Oguoma
- Health Research Institute, University of Canberra, Canberra, ACT, Australia.,Child Health Division, Menzies School of Health Research, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, NT, Australia
| | | | - Adeniyi O Adeleye
- School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Sciences, Central Queensland University, Mackay, QLD, Australia
| | - Obiora A Eneanya
- Washington University School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Infectious Diseases Division, St. Louis, MO, USA
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Karemere J, Nana IG, Andrada A, Kakesa O, Mukomena Sompwe E, Likwela Losimba J, Emina J, Sadou A, Humes M, Yé Y. Associating the scale-up of insecticide-treated nets and use with the decline in all-cause child mortality in the Democratic Republic of Congo from 2005 to 2014. Malar J 2021; 20:241. [PMID: 34051817 PMCID: PMC8164747 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-021-03771-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2020] [Accepted: 05/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND To reduce the malaria burden and improve the socioeconomic status of its citizens, the Democratic Republic of Congo scaled up key malaria control interventions, especially insecticide-treated nets (ITNs), between 2005 and 2014. Since then, the effects of these interventions on malaria mortality and morbidity have not been assessed. This study aimed to measure the impact of the National Malaria Control Programme's efforts and to inform future control strategies. METHODS The authors used data from the Demographic and Health Surveys 2007 and 2013-2014 to assess trends in all-cause childhood mortality (ACCM) against trends in coverage of malaria interventions at national and subnational levels. The authors used the plausibility argument to assess the impact of the malaria control interventions and used Kaplan-Meier survival probability and Cox proportional hazard models to examine the effect of ITN ownership on child survival. Contextual factor trends affecting child survival were also considered. RESULTS Countrywide, household ownership of at least one ITN increased, from 9% in 2007 to 70% in 2013-2014. All provinces experienced similar increases, with some greater than the national level. ITN use increased between 2007 and 2013-2014 among children under five (6% to 55%). Severe anaemia (haemoglobin concentration < 8 g/dl) prevalence among children aged 6-59 months significantly decreased, from 11% (95% confidence interval [CI] 9-13%) in 2007 to 6% (95% CI 5-7%) in 2013-2014. During the same period, ACCM declined, from 148 (95% CI 132-163) to 104 (95% CI 97-112) deaths per 1000 live births. The decline in ACCM was greater among children aged 6-23 months (relative reduction of 36%), compared to children aged 24-59 months (relative reduction of 12%). Cox regression indicated that household ownership of at least one ITN reduced the risk of mortality by 24% among children under five (risk ratio = 0.76, 95% CI 0.64-0.90). Contextual factor analysis revealed marginal improvements in socioeconomic indicators and other health interventions. CONCLUSIONS Given the patterns of the coverage of malaria control interventions, patterns in ACCM by province, and marginal improvements in contextual factors, the authors conclude that the malaria control interventions have plausibly contributed to the decrease in ACCM in the Democratic Republic of Congo from 2005 to 2014.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johanna Karemere
- PMI Measure Malaria, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
- ICF, Rockville, MD, USA.
| | - Ismael G Nana
- PMI Measure Malaria, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- ICF, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Andrew Andrada
- PMI Measure Malaria, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- ICF, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Olivier Kakesa
- PMI Measure Malaria, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- ICF, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Eric Mukomena Sompwe
- National Malaria Control Programme, Ministry of Health, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo
- University of Lubumbashi, Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of Congo
| | - Joris Likwela Losimba
- National Malaria Control Programme, Ministry of Health, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo
- University of Kisangani, Kisangani, Democratic Republic of Congo
| | - Jacques Emina
- University of Kinshasa, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo
- Population and Health Research Institute, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo
| | - Aboubacar Sadou
- President's Malaria Initiative/U.S. Agency for International Development, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Michael Humes
- President's Malaria Initiative/U.S. Agency for International Development, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Yazoumé Yé
- PMI Measure Malaria, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- ICF, Rockville, MD, USA
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11
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Gaston RT, Ramroop S, Habyarimana F. Joint modelling of malaria and anaemia in children less than five years of age in Malawi. Heliyon 2021; 7:e06899. [PMID: 34027150 PMCID: PMC8121655 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e06899] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2020] [Revised: 03/06/2021] [Accepted: 04/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Malaria and anaemia jointly remain a public health problem in developing countries of which Malawi is one. Although there is an improvement along with intervention strategies in fighting against malaria and anaemia in Malawi, the two diseases remain significant problems, especially in children 6-59 months of age. The main objective of this study was to examine the association between malaria and anaemia. Moreover, the study investigated whether socio-economic, geographic, and demographic factors had a significant impact on malaria and anaemia. DATA AND METHODOLOGY The present study used a secondary cross-sectional data set from the 2017 Malawi Malaria Indicator Survey (MMIS) with a total number of 2 724 children 6-9 months of age. The study utilized a multivariate joint model within the ambit of the generalized linear mixed model (GLMM) to analyse the data. The two response variables for this study were: the child has either malaria or anaemia. RESULTS The prevalence of malaria was 37.2% of the total number of children who were tested using an RDT, while 56.9% were anaemic. The results from the multivariate joint model under GLMM indicated a positive association between anaemia and malaria. Furthermore, the same results showed that mother's education level, child's age, the altitude of the place of residence, place of residence, toilet facility, access to electricity and children who slept under a mosquito bed net the night before the survey had a significant effect on malaria and anaemia. CONCLUSION The study indicated that there is a strong association between anaemia and malaria. This is interpreted to indicate that controlling for malaria can result in a reduction of anaemia. The socio-economic, geographical and demographic variables have a significant effect on improving malaria and anaemia. Thus, improving health care, toilet facilities, access to electricity, especially in rural areas, educating the mothers of children and increasing mosquito bed nets would contribute in the reduction of malaria and anaemia in Malawi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rugiranka Tony Gaston
- School of Mathematics, Statistics and Computer Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg Campus, Private Bag X01, Scottsville, 3209, South Africa
- Health Economics and HIV/AIDS Research Division (HEARD), University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville Campus, Private Bag X01, Westville, 3629, South Africa
| | - Shaun Ramroop
- School of Mathematics, Statistics and Computer Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg Campus, Private Bag X01, Scottsville, 3209, South Africa
| | - Faustin Habyarimana
- School of Mathematics, Statistics and Computer Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg Campus, Private Bag X01, Scottsville, 3209, South Africa
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12
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Obasohan PE, Walters SJ, Jacques R, Khatab K. A Scoping Review of the Risk Factors Associated with Anaemia among Children Under Five Years in Sub-Saharan African Countries. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2020; 17:ijerph17238829. [PMID: 33261060 PMCID: PMC7731158 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17238829] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2020] [Revised: 11/21/2020] [Accepted: 11/25/2020] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Background/Purpose: Globally, anaemia is a severe public health condition affecting over 24% of the world’s population. Children under five years old and pregnant women are the most vulnerable to this disease. This scoping review aimed to evaluate studies that used classical statistical regression methods on nationally representative health survey data to identify the individual socioeconomic, demographic and contextual risk factors associated with developing anaemia among children under five years of age in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Methods/Design: The reporting pattern followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines. The following databases were searched: MEDLINE, EMBASE (OVID platform), Web of Science, PUBMED, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), PsycINFO, Scopus, Cochrane library, African Journal of online (AJOL), Google Scholar and Measure DHS. Results: The review identified 20 relevant studies and the risk factors for anaemia were classified as child-related, parental/household-related and community- or area-related factors. The risk factors for anaemia identified included age, birth order, sex, comorbidities (such as fever, diarrhoea and acute respiratory infection), malnutrition or stunting, maternal education, maternal age, mother’s anaemia status, household wealth and place of residence. Conclusion: The outcome of this review is of significant value for health policy and planners to enable them to make informed decision that will correct any imbalances in anaemia across socioeconomic, demographic and contextual characteristics, with the view of making efficient distributions of health interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Phillips Edomwonyi Obasohan
- School of Health and Related Research (ScHARR), University of Sheffield, Sheffield S1 4DA, UK; (S.J.W.); (R.J.)
- Department of Liberal Studies, College of Administrative and Business Studies, Niger State Polytechnic, Bida Campus, Bida 912231, Nigeria
- Correspondence:
| | - Stephen J. Walters
- School of Health and Related Research (ScHARR), University of Sheffield, Sheffield S1 4DA, UK; (S.J.W.); (R.J.)
| | - Richard Jacques
- School of Health and Related Research (ScHARR), University of Sheffield, Sheffield S1 4DA, UK; (S.J.W.); (R.J.)
| | - Khaled Khatab
- Faculty of Health and Wellbeing, Sheffield Hallam University, Sheffield S10 2BP, UK;
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13
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Moyo SJ, Manyahi J, Blomberg B, Tellevik MG, Masoud NS, Aboud S, Manji K, Roberts AP, Hanevik K, Mørch K, Langeland N. Bacteraemia, Malaria, and Case Fatality Among Children Hospitalized With Fever in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:2118. [PMID: 33013772 PMCID: PMC7511546 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.02118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2020] [Accepted: 08/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Febrile illness is the commonest cause of hospitalization in children <5 years in sub-Saharan Africa, and bacterial bloodstream infections and malaria are major causes of death. Methods From March 2017 to July 2018, we enrolled 2,226 children aged 0–5 years hospitalized due to fever in four major public hospitals of Dar es Salaam, namely, Amana, Temeke, and Mwananyamala Regional Hospitals and Muhimbili National Hospital. We recorded social demographic and clinical data, and we performed blood-culture and HIV-antibody testing. We used qPCR to quantify Plasmodium falciparum parasitaemia and Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization-Time of Flight (MALDI-TOF) to identify bacterial isolates. Disk diffusion method was used for antimicrobial susceptibility testing. Results Nineteen percent of the children (426/2,226) had pathogens detected from blood. Eleven percent (236/2,226) of the children had bacteraemia/fungaemia and 10% (204/2,063) had P. falciparum malaria. Ten children had concomitant malaria and bacteraemia. Gram-negative bacteria (64%) were more frequent than Gram-positive (32%) and fungi (4%). Over 50% of Gram-negative bacteria were extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) producers and multidrug resistant. Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) was found in 11/42 (26.2%). The most severe form of clinical malaria was associated with high parasitaemia (>four million genomes/μL) of P. falciparum in plasma. Overall, in-hospital death was 4% (89/2,146), and it was higher in children with bacteraemia (8%, 18/227) than malaria (2%, 4/194, p = 0.007). Risk factors for death were bacteraemia (p = 0.03), unconsciousness at admission (p < 0.001), and admission at a tertiary hospital (p = 0.003). Conclusion Compared to previous studies in this region, our study showed a reduction in malaria prevalence, a decrease in in-hospital mortality, and an increase in antimicrobial resistance (AMR) including ESBLs and multidrug resistance. An increase of AMR highlights the importance of continued strengthening of diagnostic capability and antimicrobial stewardship programs. We also found malaria and bacteraemia contributed equally in causing febrile illness, but bacteraemia caused higher in-hospital death. The most severe form of clinical malaria was associated with P. falciparum parasitaemia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabrina J Moyo
- Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway.,Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - Joel Manyahi
- Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway.,Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - Bjørn Blomberg
- Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway.,Norwegian National Advisory Unit on Tropical Infectious Diseases, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway
| | - Marit Gjerde Tellevik
- Norwegian National Advisory Unit on Tropical Infectious Diseases, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway.,Department of Microbiology, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway
| | - Nahya Salim Masoud
- Department of Paediatrics, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - Said Aboud
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - Karim Manji
- Department of Paediatrics, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - Adam P Roberts
- Department of Tropical Disease Biology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Kurt Hanevik
- Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway.,Norwegian National Advisory Unit on Tropical Infectious Diseases, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway
| | - Kristine Mørch
- Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway.,Norwegian National Advisory Unit on Tropical Infectious Diseases, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway
| | - Nina Langeland
- Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway.,Norwegian National Advisory Unit on Tropical Infectious Diseases, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway
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14
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Lufungulo Bahati Y, Delanghe J, Bisimwa Balaluka G, Sadiki Kishabongo A, Philippé J. Asymptomatic Submicroscopic Plasmodium Infection Is Highly Prevalent and Is Associated with Anemia in Children Younger than 5 Years in South Kivu/Democratic Republic of Congo. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2020; 102:1048-1055. [PMID: 32124722 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.19-0878] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
One of the most important problems in controlling malaria is the limited access to effective and accurate diagnosis of malaria parasitemia. In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), malaria is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality. The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence of anemia and the relationship with asymptomatic submicroscopic Plasmodium infection. A cross-sectional study was carried out among 1,088 apparently healthy children aged between 6 and 59 months selected at random in the health zone of Miti Murhesa in South Kivu/DRC. Capillary blood was obtained for hemoglobin (Hb) concentration measurement by Hemocue® Hb 301. Malaria detection was performed by microscopy and the loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay. Anemia was defined as Hb < 11g/dL. We applied the chi-square test for comparisons, and multiple logistic regression was used to identify the risk factors for anemia and submicroscopic Plasmodium infection. The prevalence of anemia was 39.6%, and the prevalence of parasitemia was 15.9% and 34.0% using microscopy and LAMP test, respectively. Submicroscopic Plasmodium infection was found in 22.3% of the children. The independent risk factors for anemia are Plasmodium infection, children younger than 24 months, low middle-upper arm circumference, and history of illness two weeks before. Otherwise, children with submicroscopic malaria infection have a significantly increased risk for anemia, with a need of transfusion. The prevalence of malaria infection was underestimated, when microscopy was used to diagnose malaria. Children with low parasitemia detected by LAMP but not by microscopy showed a significantly increased prevalence of anemia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yvette Lufungulo Bahati
- Department of Diagnostic Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.,Department of Pediatrics, Catholic University of Bukavu, Bukavu, Democratic Republic of Congo
| | - Joris Delanghe
- Department of Diagnostic Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | | | | | - Jan Philippé
- Department of Diagnostic Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
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15
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Gaston RT, Ramroop S. Prevalence of and factors associated with malaria in children under five years of age in Malawi, using malaria indicator survey data. Heliyon 2020; 6:e03946. [PMID: 32426545 PMCID: PMC7226652 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e03946] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2019] [Revised: 03/10/2020] [Accepted: 05/05/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Malaria remains a public health problem in developing countries and Malawi is no different. Although there has been an improvement in reducing malaria in Malawi, it remains a problem, especially in children less than five years old. The primary objective of the study was to assess whether socio-economic, geographic and demographic factors are associated with malaria, using the generalized additive mixed model (GAMM). DATA AND METHODOLOGY The study used a 2017 dataset from the Malawi Malaria Indicator Survey (MMI) with a total number of 2724 children under five years old. The study also utilized the GAMM to analyze data. The outcome was that either the child had malaria or did not, as detected using the malaria Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT) (Ayele et al., 2014a). RESULTS In this study, more than 37 % of the total number of children who were tested showed a positive malaria result. In addition, the results from this study using GAMM indicated that anaemia, mother's education level, wealth index, child's age, the altitude of the place of residence, region, place of residence, toilet facility and electricity were significantly associated with a positive malaria RDT. CONCLUSION The study revealed that socio-economic, geographical and demographic variables are the key factors in improving malaria vectors in children. Improving income levels and supporting the poorer rural community mostly from the Central Region would be a great achievement in reducing malaria vectors in Malawi. In addition, improving health care in rural areas, especially at higher altitudes, would contribute to controlling malaria and reducing anaemia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rugiranka Tony Gaston
- School of Mathematics, Statistics and Computer Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg Campus, Private Bag X01, Scottsville, 3209, South Africa
| | - Shaun Ramroop
- School of Mathematics, Statistics and Computer Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg Campus, Private Bag X01, Scottsville, 3209, South Africa
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16
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Ashton RA, Prosnitz D, Andrada A, Herrera S, Yé Y. Evaluating malaria programmes in moderate- and low-transmission settings: practical ways to generate robust evidence. Malar J 2020; 19:75. [PMID: 32070357 PMCID: PMC7027277 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-020-03158-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2019] [Accepted: 02/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Many countries have made substantial progress in scaling-up and sustaining malaria intervention coverage, leading to more focalized and heterogeneous transmission in many settings. Evaluation provides valuable information for programmes to understand if interventions have been implemented as planned and with quality, if the programme had the intended impact on malaria burden, and to guide programmatic decision-making. Low-, moderate-, and heterogeneous-transmission settings present unique evaluation challenges because of dynamic and targeted intervention strategies. This paper provides illustration of evaluation approaches and methodologies for these transmission settings, and suggests how to answer evaluation questions specific to the local context. METHODS The Roll Back Malaria Monitoring and Evaluation Reference Group formed a task force in October 2017 to lead development of this framework. The task force includes representatives from National Malaria Programmes, funding agencies, and malaria research and implementing partners. The framework builds on existing guidance for process and outcome evaluations and impact evaluations specifically in high transmission settings. RESULTS The theory of change describes how evaluation questions asked by national malaria programmes in different contexts influence evaluation design. The transmission setting, existing stratification, and data quality and availability are also key considerations. The framework is intended for adaption by countries to their local context, and use for evaluation at sub-national level. Confirmed malaria incidence is recommended as the primary impact indicator due to its sensitivity to detect changes in low-transmission settings. It is expected that process evaluations provide sufficient evidence for programme monitoring and improvement, while impact evaluations are needed following adoption of new mixes of interventions, operational strategies, tools or policies, particularly in contexts of changing malaria epidemiology. Impact evaluations in low-, moderate-, or heterogeneous-transmission settings will likely use plausibility designs, and methods highlighted by the framework include interrupted time series, district-level dose-response analyses, and constructed control methods. Triangulating multiple data sources and analyses is important to strengthen the plausibility argument. CONCLUSIONS This framework provides a structure to assist national malaria programmes and partners to design evaluations in low-, moderate- or heterogeneous-transmission settings. Emphasizing a continuous cycle along the causal pathway linking process evaluation to impact evaluation and then programmatic decision-making, the framework provides practical guidance in evaluation design, analysis, and interpretation to ensure that the evaluation meets national malaria programme priority questions and guides decision-making at national and sub-national levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruth A Ashton
- MEASURE Evaluation, Center for Applied Malaria Research and Evaluation, Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Tulane University, 1440 Canal Street, Suite 2300, New Orleans, LA, USA.
| | | | | | - Samantha Herrera
- MEASURE Evaluation, ICF, Rockville, MD, USA.,Save the Children, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Yazoumé Yé
- MEASURE Evaluation, ICF, Rockville, MD, USA
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17
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Rowe AK. Assessing the Health Impact of Malaria Control Interventions in the MDG/Sustainable Development Goal Era: A New Generation of Impact Evaluations. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2019; 97:6-8. [PMID: 28990917 PMCID: PMC5619937 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.17-0509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Alexander K Rowe
- Malaria Branch, Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
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18
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The President's Malaria Initiative contributed to reducing malaria burden in sub-Saharan Africa between 2004 and 2014: Evidence from generalized estimating equation analysis. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0217103. [PMID: 31125380 PMCID: PMC6534374 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0217103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2019] [Accepted: 05/03/2019] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI) launched in 2005 as a key player in malaria prevention and treatment in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Several country-specific evaluations have demonstrated great progress in reducing under-five mortality associated with scaling up malaria interventions in PMI priority countries. Documentation of PMI’s specific contributions was limited, until the publication of Jakubowski, et al., which used difference-in-difference analysis to show a higher reduction of under-five mortality in PMI-supported countries than in others. To generate more evidence, this study used rigorous statistical analyses to assess the reduction in mortality attributable to PMI support. The study used generalized estimating equations and a series of matching procedures to evaluate the impact of PMI on under-five mortality and on population coverage of insecticide-treated nets (ITNs), indoor residual spraying (IRS), and artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) in SSA. The analyses used country-level secondary data and controlled for several country-level characteristics assumed to influence outcome measures of interest, PMI program participation, or both. The Mahalanobis distance metric, with 1:1 nearest neighbor matching adjusting for bias in population size in the particular country, showed a reduction in under-five mortality by approximately 12 per 1,000 live births (95% Confidence Interval [CI]: 20.6–3.1; p = 0.012). There were statistically significant increases in the population coverage of ITNs, IRS, and ACTs in PMI countries over the implementation period. ITN use in the population was 0.23% higher (95% CI average treatment effect on the treated: 0.17–0.30; p<0.001) in PMI-recipient countries than in non-PMI countries. The findings show that PMI contributed significantly to increasing the coverage of malaria control interventions and reducing under-five mortality in SSA.
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19
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Introducing post-discharge malaria chemoprevention (PMC) for management of severe anemia in Malawian children: a qualitative study of community health workers' perceptions and motivation. BMC Health Serv Res 2018; 18:984. [PMID: 30567567 PMCID: PMC6299958 DOI: 10.1186/s12913-018-3791-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2018] [Accepted: 12/04/2018] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Severe malarial anaemia is one of the leading causes of paediatric hospital admissions in Malawi. Post-discharge malaria chemoprevention (PMC) is the intermittent administration of full treatment courses of antimalarial to children recovering from severe anaemia and findings suggest that this intervention significantly reduces readmissions and deaths in these children. Community delivery of health interventions utilizing community health workers (CHWs) has been successful in some programmes and not very positive in others. In Malawi, there is an on-going cluster randomised trial that aims to find the optimum strategy for delivery of dihydroartemesinin-piperaquine (DHP) for PMC in children with severe anaemia. Our qualitative study aimed to explore the feasibility of utilizing CHWs also known as health surveillance assistants (HSAs) to remind caregivers to administer PMC medication in the existing Malawian health system. Methods Between December 2016 and March 2018, 20 individual in-depth-interviews (IDIs) and 2 focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted with 39 HSAs who had the responsibility of conducting home visits to remind caregivers of children who were prescribed PMC medication in the trial. All interviews were conducted in the local language, transcribed verbatim, and translated into English. The transcripts were uploaded to NVIVO 11 and analysed using the thematic framework analysis method. Results Although intrinsic motivation was reportedly high, adherence to the required number of home visits was very poor with only 10 HSAs reporting full adherence. Positive factors for adherence were the knowledge and perception of the effectiveness of PMC and the recognition from the community as well as health system. Poor training, lack of supervision, high workload, as well as technical and structural difficulties; were reported barriers to adherence by the HSAs. Conclusions Post-discharge malaria chemoprevention with DHP is perceived as a positive approach to manage children recovering from severe anaemia by HSAs in Malawi. However, adherence to home visit reminders was very poor and the involvement of HSAs in a scale up of this intervention may pose a challenge in the existing Malawian health system. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT02721420. The trial was registered on 26 March 2016. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12913-018-3791-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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20
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Hershey CL, Bhattarai A, Florey LS, McElroy PD, Nielsen CF, Yé Y, Eckert E, Franca-Koh AC, Shargie E, Komatsu R, Smithson P, Thwing J, Mihigo J, Herrera S, Taylor C, Shah J, Mouzin E, Yoon SS, Salgado SR. Implementing Impact Evaluations of Malaria Control Interventions: Process, Lessons Learned, and Recommendations. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2017; 97:20-31. [PMID: 28990921 PMCID: PMC5619934 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.17-0064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2017] [Accepted: 05/30/2017] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
As funding for malaria control increased considerably over the past 10 years resulting in the expanded coverage of malaria control interventions, so did the need to measure the impact of these investments on malaria morbidity and mortality. Members of the Roll Back Malaria (RBM) Partnership undertook impact evaluations of malaria control programs at a time when there was little guidance in terms of the process for conducting an impact evaluation of a national-level malaria control program. The President's Malaria Initiative (PMI), as a member of the RBM Partnership, has provided financial and technical support for impact evaluations in 13 countries to date. On the basis of these experiences, PMI and its partners have developed a streamlined process for conducting the evaluations with a set of lessons learned and recommendations. Chief among these are: to ensure country ownership and involvement in the evaluations; to engage stakeholders throughout the process; to coordinate evaluations among interested partners to avoid duplication of efforts; to tailor the evaluation to the particular country context; to develop a standard methodology for the evaluations and a streamlined process for completion within a reasonable time; and to develop tailored dissemination products on the evaluation for a broad range of stakeholders. These key lessons learned and resulting recommendations will guide future impact evaluations of malaria control programs and other health programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine L. Hershey
- President’s Malaria Initiative, U.S. Agency for International Development, Washington, District of Columbia
| | - Achuyt Bhattarai
- Malaria Branch and President’s Malaria Initiative, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Lia S. Florey
- The DHS Program, ICF International, Rockville, Maryland
| | - Peter D. McElroy
- Malaria Branch and President’s Malaria Initiative, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Carrie F. Nielsen
- Malaria Branch and President’s Malaria Initiative, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Yazoume Yé
- MEASURE Evaluation, ICF International, Rockville, Maryland
| | - Erin Eckert
- President’s Malaria Initiative, U.S. Agency for International Development, Washington, District of Columbia
| | | | - Estifanos Shargie
- The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Ryuichi Komatsu
- The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, Geneva, Switzerland
| | | | - Julie Thwing
- Malaria Branch and President’s Malaria Initiative, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Jules Mihigo
- President’s Malaria Initiative, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Bamako, Mali
| | | | | | - Jui Shah
- MEASURE Evaluation, ICF International, Rockville, Maryland
| | - Eric Mouzin
- Roll Back Malaria Partnership, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Steven S. Yoon
- Malaria Branch and President’s Malaria Initiative, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - S. René Salgado
- President’s Malaria Initiative, U.S. Agency for International Development, Washington, District of Columbia
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