Health workers perceptions on chloroquine and sulfadoxine/sulfalene pyrimethamine monotherapies: implications for the change to combination therapy of artemether/lumefantrine in Tanzania.

Objective: To describe, from health workers (HWs) perspectives, the potential and actual barriers to the implementation of the first change of policy from chloroquine (CQ) to Sulfadoxine / Sulfalane - Pyrimewthamine (SP) in preparation for the second change of policy to Artemisinin based Combination Therapies (ACTs).

Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional survey of HWs using questionnaire interviews was carried out in public and private health facilities in Songea Urban district. The interview concerned awareness and knowledge on the commonly used antimalarial drugs as given in the new policy, focusing on SP use and the associated side effects as well as perceptions on the potency and safety of SP versus CQ and the perceived alternative antimalarial drugs to non-response or reaction to SP.