Treatment of malaria from monotherapy to artemisinin-based combination therapy by health professionals in urban health facilities in Yaoundé, central province, Cameroon

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>After adoption of artesunate-amodiaquine (AS/AQ) as first-line therapy for the treatment of uncomplicated malaria by the malaria control programme, this study was designed to assess the availability of anti-malarial drugs, treatment practices and acceptability of the new protocol by health professionals, in the urban health facilities and drugstores of Yaoundé city, Cameroon.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Between April and August 2005, retrospective and current information was collected by consulting registers and interviewing health practitioners in urban health facilities using a structured questionnaire.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In 2005, twenty-seven trade-named drugs have been identified in drugstores; quinine tablets (300 mg) were the most affordable anti-malarial drugs. Chloroquine was restricted to food market places and no generic artemisinin derivative was available in public health centres. In public health facilities, 13.6% of health professionals were informed about the new guidelines; 73.5% supported the use of AS-AQ as first-line therapy. However, 38.6% apprehended its use due to adverse events attributed to amodiaquine. Malaria treatment was mainly based on the diagnosis of fever. Quinine (300 mg tablets) was the most commonly prescribed first-line anti-malarial drug in adults (44.5%) and pregnant women (52.5%). Artequin^®was the most cited artemsinin-based combination therapy (ACT) (9.9%). Medical sales representatives were the main sources of information on anti-malarials.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The use of AS/AQ was not implemented in 2005 in Yaoundé, despite the wide range of anti-malarials and trade-named artemisinin derivatives available. Nevertheless, medical practitioners will support the use of this combination, when it is available in a paediatric formulation, at an affordable price. Training, information and participation of health professionals in decision-making is one of the key elements to improve adherence to new protocol guidelines. This baseline information will be useful to monitor progress in ACT implementation in Cameroon.</p

Treatment of malaria from monotherapy to artemisinin-based combination therapy by health professionals in rural health facilities in southern Cameroon

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>One year after the adoption of artesunate-amodiaquine (AS/AQ) as first-line therapy for the treatment of uncomplicated malaria, this study was designed to assess the treatment practices regarding anti-malarial drugs at health facilities in four rural areas in southern Cameroon.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Between April and August 2005, information was collected by interviewing fifty-two health professionals from twelve rural health facilities, using a structured questionnaire.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In 2005, only three anti-malarial drugs were used in rural health facilities, including: amodiaquine, quinine and sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine. Only 2.0% of the health professionals prescribed the recommended AS/AQ combination. After reading the treatment guidelines, 75.0% were in favour of the treatment protocol with the following limitations: lack of paediatric formulations, high cost and large number of tablets per day. Up to 21.0% of professionals did not prescribe AS/AQ because of the level of adverse events attributed to the use of amodiaquine as monotherapy.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The present study indicates that AS/AQ was not available in the public health facilities at the time of the study, and health practitioners were not informed about the new treatment guidelines. Results of qualitative analysis suggest that prescribers should be involved as soon as possible in projects related to the optimization of treatment guidelines and comply with new drugs. Adapted formulations should be made available at the international level and implemented locally before new drugs and treatments are proposed through a national control programme. This baseline information will be useful to monitor progresses in the implementation of artemisinin-based combination therapy in Cameroon.</p

Molecular monitoring of plasmodium falciparum drug susceptibility at the time of the introduction of artemisinin-based combination therapy in Yaoundé, Cameroon: Implications for the future

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Regular monitoring of the levels of anti-malarial resistance of <it>Plasmodium falciparum </it>is an essential policy to adapt therapy and improve malaria control. This monitoring can be facilitated by using molecular tools, which are easier to implement than the classical determination of the resistance phenotype. In Cameroon, chloroquine (CQ), previously the first-line therapy for uncomplicated malaria was officially withdrawn in 2002 and replaced initially by amodiaquine (AQ) monotherapy. Then, artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT), notably artesunate-amodiaquine (AS-AQ) or artemether-lumefantrine (AL), was gradually introduced in 2004. This situation raised the question of the evolution of <it>P. falciparum </it>resistance molecular markers in Yaoundé, a highly urbanized Cameroonian city.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The genotype of <it>pfcrt </it>72 and 76 and <it>pfmdr1 </it>86 alleles and <it>pfmdr1 </it>copy number were determined using real-time PCR in 447 <it>P. falciparum </it>samples collected between 2005 and 2009.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>This study showed a high prevalence of parasites with mutant <it>pfcrt </it>76 (83%) and <it>pfmdr1 </it>86 (93%) codons. On the contrary, no mutations in the <it>pfcrt </it>72 codon and no samples with duplication of the <it>pfmdr1 </it>gene were observed.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The high prevalence of mutant <it>pfcrt </it>76T and <it>pfmdr1 </it>86Y alleles might be due to the choice of alternative drugs (AQ and AS-AQ) known to select such genotypes. Mutant <it>pfcrt </it>72 codon was not detected despite the prolonged use of AQ either as monotherapy or combined with artesunate. The absence of <it>pfmdr1 </it>multicopies suggests that AL would still remain efficient. The limited use of mefloquine or the predominance of mutant <it>pfmdr1 </it>86Y codon could explain the lack of <it>pfmdr1 </it>amplification. Indeed, this mutant codon is rarely associated with duplication of <it>pfmdr1 </it>gene. In Cameroon, the changes of therapeutic strategies and the simultaneous use of several formulations of ACT or other anti-malarials that are not officially recommended result in a complex selective pressure, rendering the prediction of the evolution of <it>P. falciparum </it>resistance difficult. This public health problem should lead to increased vigilance and regular monitoring.</p

Relevance of the use of rapid diagnostic test for malaria on the cost and effectiveness of management of febrile patients in Yaoundé, Cameroon

Cette étude a été réalisée dans un centre de santé de Yaoundé avec pour objectif de rationaliser la prise en charge des patients fébriles à l’aide d’un test de diagnostic rapide du paludisme (TDR). Les patients évoquant un accès palustre non compliqué et remplissant les critères d’inclusion étaient inclus et traités de façon présomptive par des antipaludiques (bras présomptif) ou selon le résultat du TDR (bras TDR). La première phase de l’étude (novembre 2007-janvier 2008), menée chez 313 enfants et adultes en utilisant le TDR DiaSpot®, a permis de démontrer l’impact du TDR sur l’amélioration du taux de guérison des enfants de moins de 5 ans, malgré une sensibilité de 71,4%. Par contre, cet outil s’est montré de peu d’intérêt chez les patients de plus de 5 ans. Au cours de la seconde phase (octobre 2008-janvier 2009), 382 patients 5 years. During the second phase of the study (October 2008-January 2009), 382 patients < 5 years were enrolled. Malaria was the fourth cause of morbidity (14.7%); 42.9% of them had fever of unknown origin, probably of viral origin, requiring only antipyretics. Children suffered essentially from acute respiratory infections (31.4%) and diarrhea (16.2%). The RDT Paracheck-Pf® was used and showed a sensitivity of 96.2% and a specificity of 97.6%. The use of RDT resulted in 13.7% of unjustified antimalarial treatment due to false-positives, as compared to 84% of unjustified antimalarial treatment in the presumptive strategy. After 3 days of follow-up, the recovery rates in the presumptive and RDT arms were 68.4% and 80.5%, respectively. Treatment of a malaria case cost, in average, 20.00 euros in the presumptive arm, as compared with 8.40 euros in the RDT arm, i.e. an incremental cost of 2.30 euros per false positive averted due to the use of the novel diagnostic tool. An interactive model based on these economic parameters in relation with malaria prevalence was developed with Excel spreadsheet. Theoretically, of the two methods, the RDT-based management is less expensive if the proportion of malaria-related fever is < 80% and the price of RDT is < 2.65 euros. Based on these results, the use of malaria RDT is recommended to improve management of febrile patients at a lower cost and reduce the unjustified use of antimalarial drugs in Yaoundé

HIV-DNA in the genital tract of women on long-term effective therapy is associated to residual viremia and previous AIDS-defining illnesses.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the impact of long-term combined antiretroviral therapy (cART) on HIV-RNA and HIV-DNA levels in cervicovaginal secretions of HIV-1-infected women with sustained undetectable plasma RNA viral load (PVL); to explore factors predictive of residual viral shedding; and to evaluate the risk of heterosexual transmission. METHODS: Women with undetectable PVL (<50 copies/mL) for >6 months were included in this cross-sectional study. HIV-RNA and HIV-DNA were measured in blood and cervicovaginal lavage fluid (CVL). Women were systematically tested for genital infections. The risk of transmission to male partners during unprotected intercourse was estimated. RESULTS: Eighty-one women composed the study population: all had HIV-RNA <40 copies/mL in CVL. HIV-DNA was detectable in CVL of 29/78 patients (37%). There was a weak positive correlation between HIV-DNA levels in PBMCs and CVL (r = 0.20; p = 0.08). In multivariate analysis, two factors were associated with HIV-DNA detection in CVL: previous AIDS-defining illnesses (OR = 11; 95%CI = 2-61) and current residual viremia (20<PVL<50 cp/mL) (OR = 3.4; 95%CI = 1.1-10.9). Neither the classes of cART regimen nor the presence of genital bacterial or fungal colonization were associated with HIV-DNA detection in CVL. Twenty-eight percent of the women had unprotected intercourse with their regular HIV-seronegative male partner, for between 8 and 158 months. None of their male partners became infected, after a total of 14 000 exposures. CONCLUSION: In our experience, HIV-RNA was undetectable in the genital tract of women with sustained control of PVL on cART. HIV-DNA shedding persisted in about one third of cases, with no substantial evidence of residual infectiousness

Correlation between HIV-DNA levels in paired blood and genital samples in the whole population (study and viremic groups).

<p>Solid squares represent women with plasma HIV-RNA viral load <50 cp/mL (study group), and circles women with plasma HIV-RNA viral load >100 cp/mL (viremic group). The solid line is the regression line for the whole population.</p

Analysis of characteristics associated with HIV-DNA detection in the genital tract of women included in the study group.

<p>Abbreviations : <b>HBV: hepatitis B virus; HCV: hepatitis C virus; II: integrase inhibitor; NRTI: nucleoside/nucleotide reverse transcriptase inhibitor; NNRTI: non nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor; PI: protease inhibitor.</b></p

Baseline characteristics of women included in the study group (n = 81) and viremic group (n = 16).

<p>Baseline characteristics of women included in the study group (n = 81) and viremic group (n = 16).</p