Assessing drivers of full adoption of test and treat policy for malaria in Senegal

Christina Faust*, Jonathan Zelner, Philippe Brasseur, Michel Vaillant, Malick Badiane, Moustafa Cisse, Bryan Grenfell, Piero Olliaro

*Corresponding author for this work

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticleResearchpeer-review

    13 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    Malaria treatment policy has changed from presumptive treatment to targeted "test and treat" (T&T) with malaria rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) and artemisinin combination therapy (ACT). This transition involves changing behavior among health providers, meaning delays between introduction and full implementation are recorded in almost every instance. We investigated factors affecting successful transition, and suggest approaches for accelerating uptake of T&T. Records from 2000 to 2011 from health clinics in Senegal where malaria is mesoendemic were examined (96,166 cases). The study period encompassed the implementation of national T&T policy in 2006. Analysis showed that adherence to test results is the first indicator of T&T adoption and is dependent on accumulation of experience with positive RDTs (odds ratio [OR]: 0.55 [P ≤ 0.001], 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.53-0.58). Reliance on tests for malaria diagnosis (rather than presumptive diagnosis) followed after test adherence is achieved, and was also associated with increased experience with positive RDTs (OR: 0.60 [P ≤ 0.001], 95% CI: 0.58-0.62). Logistic models suggest that full adoption of T&T clinical practices can occur within 2 years, that monitoring these behavioral responses rather than RDT or ACT consumption will improve evaluation of T&T uptake, and that accelerating T&T uptake by focusing training on adherence to test results will reduce overdiagnosis and associated health and economic costs in mesoendemic regions.

    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)159-167
    Number of pages9
    JournalAmerican Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
    Volume93
    Issue number1
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 1 Jul 2015

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