Decreased availability of antimalarials in the private sector following the policy change from chloroquine to sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine in the Kilombero Valley, Tanzania
Abstract Background Malaria control strategies emphasize the need for prompt and effective treatment of malaria episodes. To increase treatment efficacy, Tanzania changed its first-line treatment from chloroquine to sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP) in 2001. The effect of this policy change on the ava...
Published in: | Malaria Journal |
---|---|
Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
Published: |
BMC
2006
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/1475-2875-5-109 https://doaj.org/article/b9ebf030ede74d37ad67e52bfbac0178 |
id |
ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:b9ebf030ede74d37ad67e52bfbac0178 |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:b9ebf030ede74d37ad67e52bfbac0178 2023-05-15T15:13:29+02:00 Decreased availability of antimalarials in the private sector following the policy change from chloroquine to sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine in the Kilombero Valley, Tanzania Kachur S Patrick Obrist Brigit Lengeler Christian Goodman Catherine Msechu June J Hetzel Manuel W Makemba Ahmed Nathan Rose Schulze Alexander Mshinda Hassan 2006-11-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.1186/1475-2875-5-109 https://doaj.org/article/b9ebf030ede74d37ad67e52bfbac0178 EN eng BMC http://www.malariajournal.com/content/5/1/109 https://doaj.org/toc/1475-2875 doi:10.1186/1475-2875-5-109 1475-2875 https://doaj.org/article/b9ebf030ede74d37ad67e52bfbac0178 Malaria Journal, Vol 5, Iss 1, p 109 (2006) Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine RC955-962 Infectious and parasitic diseases RC109-216 article 2006 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.1186/1475-2875-5-109 2022-12-31T04:12:52Z Abstract Background Malaria control strategies emphasize the need for prompt and effective treatment of malaria episodes. To increase treatment efficacy, Tanzania changed its first-line treatment from chloroquine to sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP) in 2001. The effect of this policy change on the availability of antimalarials was studied in rural south-eastern Tanzania. Methods In 2001 and 2004, the study area was searched for commercial outlets selling drugs and their stocks were recorded. Household information was obtained from the local Demographic Surveillance System. Results From 2001 to 2004, the number of general shops stocking drugs increased by 15% and the number of drug stores nearly doubled. However, the proportion of general shops stocking antimalarials dropped markedly, resulting in an almost 50% decrease of antimalarial selling outlets. This led to more households being located farther from a treatment source. In 2004, five out of 25 studied villages with a total population of 13,506 (18%) had neither a health facility, nor a shop as source of malaria treatment. Conclusion While the change to SP resulted in a higher treatment efficacy, it also led to a decreased antimalarial availability in the study area. Although there was no apparent impact on overall antimalarial use, the decline in access may have disproportionately affected the poorest and most remote groups. In view of the imminent policy change to artemisinin-based combination therapy these issues need to be addressed urgently if the benefits of this new class of antimalarials are to be extended to the whole population. Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Arctic Malaria Journal 5 1 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
op_collection_id |
ftdoajarticles |
language |
English |
topic |
Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine RC955-962 Infectious and parasitic diseases RC109-216 |
spellingShingle |
Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine RC955-962 Infectious and parasitic diseases RC109-216 Kachur S Patrick Obrist Brigit Lengeler Christian Goodman Catherine Msechu June J Hetzel Manuel W Makemba Ahmed Nathan Rose Schulze Alexander Mshinda Hassan Decreased availability of antimalarials in the private sector following the policy change from chloroquine to sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine in the Kilombero Valley, Tanzania |
topic_facet |
Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine RC955-962 Infectious and parasitic diseases RC109-216 |
description |
Abstract Background Malaria control strategies emphasize the need for prompt and effective treatment of malaria episodes. To increase treatment efficacy, Tanzania changed its first-line treatment from chloroquine to sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP) in 2001. The effect of this policy change on the availability of antimalarials was studied in rural south-eastern Tanzania. Methods In 2001 and 2004, the study area was searched for commercial outlets selling drugs and their stocks were recorded. Household information was obtained from the local Demographic Surveillance System. Results From 2001 to 2004, the number of general shops stocking drugs increased by 15% and the number of drug stores nearly doubled. However, the proportion of general shops stocking antimalarials dropped markedly, resulting in an almost 50% decrease of antimalarial selling outlets. This led to more households being located farther from a treatment source. In 2004, five out of 25 studied villages with a total population of 13,506 (18%) had neither a health facility, nor a shop as source of malaria treatment. Conclusion While the change to SP resulted in a higher treatment efficacy, it also led to a decreased antimalarial availability in the study area. Although there was no apparent impact on overall antimalarial use, the decline in access may have disproportionately affected the poorest and most remote groups. In view of the imminent policy change to artemisinin-based combination therapy these issues need to be addressed urgently if the benefits of this new class of antimalarials are to be extended to the whole population. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Kachur S Patrick Obrist Brigit Lengeler Christian Goodman Catherine Msechu June J Hetzel Manuel W Makemba Ahmed Nathan Rose Schulze Alexander Mshinda Hassan |
author_facet |
Kachur S Patrick Obrist Brigit Lengeler Christian Goodman Catherine Msechu June J Hetzel Manuel W Makemba Ahmed Nathan Rose Schulze Alexander Mshinda Hassan |
author_sort |
Kachur S Patrick |
title |
Decreased availability of antimalarials in the private sector following the policy change from chloroquine to sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine in the Kilombero Valley, Tanzania |
title_short |
Decreased availability of antimalarials in the private sector following the policy change from chloroquine to sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine in the Kilombero Valley, Tanzania |
title_full |
Decreased availability of antimalarials in the private sector following the policy change from chloroquine to sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine in the Kilombero Valley, Tanzania |
title_fullStr |
Decreased availability of antimalarials in the private sector following the policy change from chloroquine to sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine in the Kilombero Valley, Tanzania |
title_full_unstemmed |
Decreased availability of antimalarials in the private sector following the policy change from chloroquine to sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine in the Kilombero Valley, Tanzania |
title_sort |
decreased availability of antimalarials in the private sector following the policy change from chloroquine to sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine in the kilombero valley, tanzania |
publisher |
BMC |
publishDate |
2006 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.1186/1475-2875-5-109 https://doaj.org/article/b9ebf030ede74d37ad67e52bfbac0178 |
geographic |
Arctic |
geographic_facet |
Arctic |
genre |
Arctic |
genre_facet |
Arctic |
op_source |
Malaria Journal, Vol 5, Iss 1, p 109 (2006) |
op_relation |
http://www.malariajournal.com/content/5/1/109 https://doaj.org/toc/1475-2875 doi:10.1186/1475-2875-5-109 1475-2875 https://doaj.org/article/b9ebf030ede74d37ad67e52bfbac0178 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1186/1475-2875-5-109 |
container_title |
Malaria Journal |
container_volume |
5 |
container_issue |
1 |
_version_ |
1766344036188160000 |