Vers une amélioration de l'accès au traitement pour les personnes vivant avec l'épilepsie au Laos

High prevalence of misbelieves about epilepsy at the community level and scarce availability of antiepileptic drugs (AED) are underlying factors to poor access to treatment for people with epilepsy (PWE). The success in reducing the epilepsy treatment gap (ETG) relies on improving the access to adequate medical care and the level of adherence to the AED. Which public health measures could be implemented to reduce the ETG in Lao PDR, where the ETG is estimated to 99.6%? This thesis highlights some answers. The indirect method is an effective way to measure the ETG in low and middle-income countries. Few medical staff is able to diagnose epilepsy and initiate an adequate treatment for PWE. Medical staff shares false beliefs prevailing at the community. The adherence rate to AED of PWE is estimated to 57.6%. It is associated with illiteracy, being on monotherapy, and experiencing fewer seizures. The importation of phenobarbital is controlled, that can explain the frequent shortage. The amount of PB that can be imported depends on the number of patients with epilepsy reported by health facilities. In areas of intervention of the “Initiative d’accès au traitement antiépileptique”, the level of ETG improved slightly. Having a low level knowledge of epilepsy prevents the PWE to be on AED. Implementing a policy to ensure the coordination of interventions to improve the access to MAE remains crucial. Meanwhile, researches aiming at the validation of intervention tools, monitoring and evaluation of indicators are to be conducted. To improve their attendance to health facilities, PWE need to be informed of the curability of epilepsy and availability of AED.Les fausses croyances véhiculées au sein de la communauté et la faible disponibilité des médicaments antiépileptiques (MAE) sont des facteurs sous-jacents à un faible accès au traitement pour les personnes vivant avec l’épilepsie (PVE). Le succès dans la réduction du déficit thérapeutique en épilepsie (DTE) repose sur l’amélioration de l’accès aux soins et du niveau d’adhérence aux MAE. Quelles actions de santé publique peut-on mettre en place pour réduire ce DTE au Laos où le DTE est estimé à 99,6% ? Ce travail donne quelques réponses. L’utilisation de la méthode indirecte est un moyen efficace pour mesurer le DTE dans les pays à faible et moyen revenu. Peu de personnels de santé est apte à poser le diagnostic et à traiter l’épilepsie. Les fausses croyances existantes dans la communauté sont partagées par le personnel de santé. Le taux d’adhérence des PVE est estimé à 57,6%. L’adhérence est associée au niveau d’éducation, à la monothérapie et à la réduction des crises épileptiques. Le droit limité d’importation en phénobarbital explique les pénuries fréquentes. Ce droit est fonction du nombre de patients épileptiques déclarés par les formations sanitaires. Dans les zones d’intervention de l’Initiative Accès au traitement antiépileptique, le DTE a légèrement diminué. Les PVE qui ne sont pas sous MAE ont une connaissance plus faible de la maladie. Le développement de politiques pour assurer la coordination d’interventions en faveur de l’accès au traitement reste crucial. Des projets de recherche pour valider les outils d’intervention, assurer un suivi-évaluation des indicateurs doivent être poursuivis. Renforcer la sensibilisation sur l’épilepsie et la disponibilité des MAE permettra d’améliorer la fréquentation des formations sanitaires et réduire le DTE au Laos

Prise en charge communautaire des maladies de l’enfance à Madagascar : de l’espoir au dysfonctionnement

En 2014, l’UNICEF avec le Ministère de la santé publique (MINSAP) a procédé au renforcement du programme de prise en charge des maladies de l’enfance au niveau communautaire. Bien que le programme soit efficace en ce sens qu’il contribue à l’augmentation du nombre d’enfants traités et diagnostiqués, la qualité de la prise en charge n’est pas satisfaisante (42,6% des agents de santé communautaires effectuent encore des erreurs). L’objectif de cet article est d’identifier les causes de ce dysfonctionnement

Therapeutic efficacy and safety of artesunate + amodiaquine and artemether + lumefantrine in treating uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria in children on the rainy south-east coast of Madagascar

Malaria is a major public health problem in Madagascar, particularly in coastal areas. We conducted a randomized, controlled, parallel-group study of artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) in Mananjary and Farafangana, two localities on the rainy south-east coast of Madagascar, from March to September 2018. The efficacy and safety of artesunate + amodiaquine (ASAQ) and artemether + lumefantrine (AL) were assessed according to the WHO protocol with a 28-day follow-up. Children aged 6 months to 14 years with uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria were randomized to receive ASAQ or AL for three days (1:1). 347/352 (98.5%) randomized patients reached the study endpoint on day 28. Crude adequate clinical and parasitological response (ACPR) rates were 100% (95% CI: 98.8–100%) in the ASAQ group and 96% (95% CI: 93.1–98.9%) in the AL group (per protocol population). However, the PCR-corrected ACPR rate was 97.7% (95% CI: 95.4–100%) in the AL group. Two cases of recrudescence and three of re-infection were observed. Mild and moderate adverse events, including gastrointestinal and/or nervous disorders, were reported in 11.9% (42/352) of patients. We found that ASAQ and AL were safe and efficacious for treating uncomplicated P. falciparum malaria. They may be used for treatment at health facilities and at the community level, and for mass drug administration campaigns

Paradoxical risk perception and behaviours related to Avian Flu outbreak and education campaign, Laos

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>In Laos, small backyard poultry systems predominate (90%). The first lethal human cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) occurred in 2007. Few studies have addressed the impact of outbreaks and education campaigns on a smallholder producer system. We evaluated awareness and behaviours related to educational campaigns and the 2007 HPAI outbreaks.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>During a national 2-stage cross-sectional randomised survey we interviewed 1098 households using a pre-tested questionnaire in five provinces representative of the Southern to Northern strata of Laos. We used multivariate analysis (Stata, version 8; Stata Corporation, College Station, TX, USA) to analyse factors affecting recollection of HPAI educational messages, awareness of HPAI, and behaviour change.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Of the 1098 participants, 303 (27.6%) received training on HPAI. The level of awareness was similar to that in 2006. The urban population considered risk to be decreased, yet unsafe behaviours persisted or increased. This contrasted with an increase in awareness and safe behaviour practices in rural areas.</p> <p>Reported behaviour changes in rural areas included higher rates of cessation of poultry consumption and dead poultry burial when compared to 2006. No participants reported poultry deaths to the authorities. Overall, 70% could recall an educational message but the content and accuracy differed widely depending on training exposure. Washing hands and other hygiene advice, messages given during the HPAI educational campaign, were not recalled. Trained persons were able to recall only one message while untrained participants recalled a broader range of messages. Factors associated with an awareness of a threat of AI in Laos were: having received HPAI training, literacy level, access to TV, recent information, living in rural areas.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>We report a paradoxical relationship between unsafe behaviours and risk perception in urban areas, as well as exposure to HPAI training and message misinterpretation. Future educational campaigns need to be tailored to specific target populations and farming styles, for example, small holder farms as compared to commercial farms. Special attention must be given to varying risk perceptions and the risk of misinterpretation of key messages, economic hardship, and real life consequences of reporting.</p

Breast-Milk Substitutes: A New Old-Threat for Breastfeeding Policy in Developing Countries. A Case Study in a Traditionally High Breastfeeding Country

Background: Developing countries with traditionally breastfeeding are now experiencing the increasing pressure of formula milk marketing. This may endanger lives and undermine the efforts of national policies in achieving the objectives of the Millennium Development Goals. We examined the use of, and factors for use, of all available breast-milk substitutes (BMS) in a country with a traditionally high rate of breastfeeding. Methods: Randomised multi-stage sampling surveys in 90 villages in 12/17 provinces in Laos. Participants: 1057 mothers with infants under 24 months of age. Tools: 50-query questionnaire and a poster of 22 BMS (8 canned or powdered milk; 6 non-dairy; 6 formulas; 2 non-formulas). Outcome measures included: prevalence of use and age of starting BMS in relation to socio-demographic characteristics and information sources, by univariate and multivariate analyses

Novel point-of-care cytokine biomarker lateral flow test for the screening for sexually transmitted infections and bacterial vaginosis: study protocol of a multicentre multidisciplinary prospective observational clinical study to evaluate the performance and feasibility of the Genital InFlammation Test (GIFT).

INTRODUCTION: A prototype lateral flow device detecting cytokine biomarkers interleukin (IL)-1α and IL-1β has been developed as a point-of-care test-called the Genital InFlammation Test (GIFT)-for detecting genital inflammation associated with sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and/or bacterial vaginosis (BV) in women. In this paper, we describe the rationale and design for studies that will be conducted in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Madagascar to evaluate the performance of GIFT and how it could be integrated into routine care. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: We will conduct a prospective, multidisciplinary, multicentre, cross-sectional and observational clinical study comprising two distinct components: a biomedical ('diagnostic study') and a qualitative, modelling and economic ('an integration into care study') part. The diagnostic study aims to evaluate GIFT's performance in identifying asymptomatic women with discharge-causing STIs (Chlamydia trachomatis (CT), Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG), Trichomonas vaginalis (TV) and Mycoplasma genitalium (MG)) and BV. Study participants will be recruited from women attending research sites and family planning services. Several vaginal swabs will be collected for the evaluation of cytokine concentrations (ELISA), STIs (nucleic acid amplification tests), BV (Nugent score) and vaginal microbiome characteristics (16S rRNA gene sequencing). The first collected vaginal swab will be used for the GIFT assay which will be performed in parallel by a healthcare worker in the clinic near the participant, and by a technician in the laboratory. The integration into care study aims to explore how GIFT could be integrated into routine care. Four activities will be conducted: user experiences and/or perceptions of the GIFT device involving qualitative focus group discussions and in-depth interviews with key stakeholders; discrete choice experiments; development of a decision tree classification algorithm; and economic evaluation of defined management algorithms. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Findings will be reported to participants, collaborators and local government for the three sites, presented at national and international conferences, and disseminated in peer-reviewed publications.The protocol and all study documents such as informed consent forms were reviewed and approved by the University of Cape Town Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC reference 366/2022), Medical Research Council of Zimbabwe (MRCZ/A/2966), Comité d'Ethique pour la Recherche Biomédicale de Madagascar (N° 143 MNSAP/SG/AMM/CERBM) and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine ethics committee (LSHTM reference 28046).Before the start, this study was submitted to the Clinicaltrials.gov public registry (NCT05723484). TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT05723484

Impact et efficience de l’intégration du diagnostic et du traitement de la pneumonie dans la prise en charge communautaire du paludisme à Madagascar

International audienceIn 2014, a program integrating the diagnosis and treatment of pneumonia into malaria community case management was implemented in Madagascar. Its objective was to improve the accessibility to care by the use of community health workers (CHWs). This paper aimed to assess the effectiveness and the efficiency of this program. Two districts were taken into account: Andapa, which received only basic activities (control), and Antalaha, where all activities were implemented (treated). Impact analysis based on the difference in difference methodology and cost-effectiveness analysis were made. The program had significant impact on pneumonia and malaria case management. The cost-effectiveness analysis demonstrated that the cost per case of additional malaria and pneumonia treated by CHWs was between 8.66 and 9.68 USD.En 2014, un programme d’intégration de la prise en charge de la pneumonie dans celle du paludisme au niveau communautaire a été mis en place à Madagascar. Cela visait à améliorer l’accessibilité aux soins grâce au recours aux agents communautaires (AC). Cet article évalue l’efficacité et l’efficience de ce programme. Deux districts ont été pris en compte, à savoir Andapa, district de contrôle qui n’a reçu que des activités de base, et Antalaha, district traité où la totalité des activités a été mise en œuvre. Une analyse d’impact basée sur la méthode de la double différence et une analyse coût-efficacité ont été effectuées. Le programme a eu un impact significatif sur la prise en charge de ces deux maladies par les AC. L’analyse coût-efficacité a démontré que le coût par cas supplémentaire traité par ces derniers est entre 8,66 et 9,68 USD

Impact and Efficiency of the Integration of Diagnosis and Treatment of Pneumonia in Malaria Community Case Management in Madagascar

In Madagascar, in February 2014, the Ministry of Health and UNICEF implemented a program integrating the diagnosis and treatment of pneumonia into malaria community case management. The objectives of this program were to improve the management of cases of malaria and pneumonia by community health workers to alleviate the problem of accessibility to care and to reduce the number of severe cases treated at health facilities. This paper aims to assess the effectiveness and the efficiency of this. Two districts were taken into account: Andapa received only basic activities ensuring the functionality of the community sites (control district) and Antalaha where all activities related to the program were implemented (treated district). To assess the impact of the program, we use the difference in difference methodology and we compare the period before the implementation of the program in January 2014 and the period when the program is implemented in February 2016. Then cost-effectiveness analysis was made. In Antalaha, although the program has no significant impact on pneumonia, the situation is better than that of Andapa, as in the case of malaria management, the difference is significant between the two districts. The cost-effectiveness analysis also demonstrated that the cost per case of additional malaria and pneumonia treated by CHWs is 2.52 USD (2.44-3.50). However, skills of CHWs should be strengthened especially concerning pneumonia cases management

[Epilepsy in Lao Popular Democratic Republic: difficult procurement of a first-line antiepileptic contributes to widening the treatment gap].

International audienceIn Laos, over 95% of people with epilepsy (PWE) do not receive a proper treatment. Traditional beliefs and practices have long explained this wide treatment gap. From 2008 to 2010 we evaluated the procurement process for phenobarbital, the leading first-line antiepileptic drug (AED) in Laos, and its availability at a national scale as a potential additional major cause of this treatment gap in Laos. Data were drawn from several surveys conducted from 2008 to 2010: (i) semi structured interviews of key persons from the Ministry of Health and from pharmaceutical factories, wholesalers, pharmacists, neurologists, psychiatrists, and non-governmental organisations; (ii) retrospective survey of AED prescriptions in three main hospitals of Vientiane the capital city during two randomised weeks from June to August 2009; (iii) self-administered questionnaires of pediatricians regarding their knowledge about phenobarbital; (iv) a national survey of the AED availability in pharmacies and drug shops in 16/17 provinces, 16 districts and 96 villages (multistage randomised survey) in 2010 and a survey among the population in 2009. Phenobarbital is imported in Laos via a carefully controlled importation process either as raw material to be processed by factory N(o) 2 or in the form of tablets. The International Narcotics Control Board (Vienne) delivers a yearly quota of 25kg of raw phenobarbital to the Food and Drug department (FDA). This allows the production of 245000 tablets per year (around 671 annual adult treatments). The overall importation process for phenobarbital lasts 6months. Grade 1 pharmacists (mostly located in urban areas) and regional and district hospitals are authorized to deliver phenobarbital. The cost of phenobarbital ranged from 0.11 to 0.2US dollars/tablet per day (39 to 67US dollars per year). High cost of transportation and increased cost of phenobarbital (5- to 10-fold greater than the international market) contribute to reduce access to treatment. Needs for phenobarbital at delivery sites should be re-assessed by the health authorities based on the expected number of PWE. Improved training of health and pharmacist personnel and increased awareness of the population concerning effective long-term treatment for epilepsy are crucial to improve access of PWE to AED in Laos