Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://repository.kln.ac.lk/handle/123456789/1335
Title: Early diagnosis and treatment of malaria in a refugee population in Sri Lanka
Authors: van der Hoek, W.
Premasiri, D.A.
Wickremasinghe, A.R.
Keywords: Malaria
Malaria, Vivax-diagnosis
Malaria, Vivax--drug therapy
Malaria, Falciparum-diagnosis
Malaria, Falciparum--drug therapy
Mass Screening
Medical Indigency
Issue Date: 1997
Publisher: SEAMEO Regional Tropical Medicine and Public Health Project
Citation: The Southeast Asian Journal of Tropical Medicine and Public Health. 1997; 28(1): pp.12-17
Abstract: To provide early diagnosis and prompt treatment for malaria, two interventions were compared in refugee camps in Kalpitiya, Sri Lanka. Community health volunteers (HV's) were trained in diagnosis and management of malaria on clinical grounds, while a field laboratory was established in another group of camps providing treatment after laboratory confirmation of a malarial infection. Patients with fever sought treatment from HV's on average after 2.74 days and from the field laboratory after 3.20 days. Although acceptance of both interventions was high, the effective catchment areas, especially of the HV's were small. Large numbers of health volunteers would be needed to cover all families, making it difficult to sustain supervision and necessary logistic support. For every malaria patient treated by HV's, three others would receive anti-malarial drugs unnecessarily. The maintenance of a field laboratory with a microscopist of the Anti-Malaria Campaign is not an economically viable option. Training of HV's in microscopy with a mechanism for cost recovery should be given serious consideration. HV's and diagnosis and treatment centers should be able to handle a wide spectrum of common diseases. A better option for Sri Lanka in the short term might be to improve existing general health facilities that are accessible to the refugee population
Description: Indexed in MEDLINE
URI: http://repository.kln.ac.lk/handle/123456789/1335
Appears in Collections:Journal/Magazine Articles

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