Effective Treatment
Recognizing symptoms and receiving
timely and effective treatment are key to saving the lives
of children infected with malaria. USAID malaria programs
aim to increase the proportion of children with fever who
receive prompt treatment with an effective drug within 24
hours. This approach involves:
- Improving recognition and treatment-seeking
behavior at the household level
- Developing national capacity
to monitor and review anti-malarial drug efficacy on an
ongoing basis
- Improving case management at
health facilities, especially for severe malaria
In the case of malaria treatment,
the emergence and spread of resistance to chloroquine (CQ),
the first line antimalarial drug for most of Africa, has
resulted in an alarming increase in malaria-related morbidity
and death. In most parts of Africa, data suggest CQ treatment
failure rates higher than 25% and in some cases up to 80%.
Despite these findings only a handful of countries have
successfully reviewed the efficacy of chloroquine and made
appropriate policy changes; of these only one country has
fully implemented its new policy. The great majority of
countries in the region have not yet adequately addressed
this pressing problem. Many of the 2 million or so deaths
from malaria could be saved each year with effective first-line
treatment.
The limited resources and ability
of governments to adequately respond to the key issues of
drug resistance and malaria in pregnancy are threatening
the future of successful malaria control in Africa. In response,
USAID has supported the establishment of a Malaria Action
Coalition to support a focused, regional effort providing
technical and program assistance to national governments
to establish an ongoing process to review, revise and implement
policies and practices promoting effective therapy and safe
pregnancies. The goal of the Malaria Action Coalition is
to directly contribute to reductions in malaria-related
mortality and morbidity due to treatment failure and placental
infection across Africa.
To support national governments
in the review, revision and implementation of malaria treatment
and IPT practices, USAID will draw on the wealth of technical
and program expertise available through four of its key
collaborating partners: WHO,
CDC,
the
Rational Pharmaceutical Management (RPMplus) and Access to Clinical and Community Maternal, Neonatal and Women's Health Services (ACCESS) Programs. Over the five
year life of the Malaria Action Coalition it is expected
that improved policies and national level practices will
contribute to the routine availability in at least 20 countries
of effective front-line treatment for malaria and intermittent
preventive therapy (IPT) for pregnant women.
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