Enhancing the blood safety program in Myanmar: Report on projects of global extension of medical technologies of Japan.

The National Center for Global Health and Medicine has long collaborated with the blood program in Myanmar, and the Center started a new project in 2015 to enhance blood transfusion safety as part of a new set of projects of global extension of medical technologies that aims to improve public health and medicine in developing countries under public-private partnerships. The project resulted in remarkable achievements, including maintaining a high proportion of voluntary blood donations despite a rapidly growing demand for blood, ensuring blood safety from the donor to the recipient, and creating public-private partnerships. The project supported the introduction of blood grouping using the tube method at hospital blood banks, safety measures during blood transfusions, and effective use of blood products including component blood.

Correction: Quantification of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase activity by spectrophotometry: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.

Quantification of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase activity by spectrophotometry: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: The radical cure of Plasmodium vivax and P. ovale requires treatment with primaquine or tafenoquine to clear dormant liver stages. Either drug can induce haemolysis in individuals with glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency, necessitating screening.

Performance of the Access Bio/CareStart rapid diagnostic test for the detection of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: To reduce the risk of drug-induced haemolysis, all patients should be tested for glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency (G6PDd) prior to prescribing primaquine (PQ)-based radical cure for the treatment of vivax malaria. This systematic review and individual patient meta-analysis assessed the utility of a qualitative lateral flow assay from Access Bio/CareStart (Somerset, NJ) (CareStart Screening test for G6PD deficiency) for the diagnosis of G6PDd compared to the gold standard spectrophotometry (International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews [PROSPERO]: CRD42019110994).

Methods And Findings: Articles published on PubMed between 1 January 2011 and 27 September 2019 were screened.

Validation of G6PD Point-of-Care Tests among Healthy Volunteers in Yangon, Myanmar.

Primaquine and other 8-amnoquinoline based anti-malarials can cause haemolysis in subjects with glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency. Correct diagnosis of G6PD status in patients is crucial for safe treatment of both relapsing stages of Plasmodium vivax and transmitting forms of Plasmodium falciparum. Lack of suitable point-of-care tests has hampered a much needed wide use of primaquine for malaria elimination.

Are Husbands Involving in Their Spouses' Utilization of Maternal Care Services?: A Cross-Sectional Study in Yangon, Myanmar.

Introduction: Husbands can play a crucial role in pregnancy and childbirth, especially in patriarchal societies of developing countries. In Myanmar, despite the critical influence of husbands on the health of mothers and newborns, their roles in maternal health have not been well explored. Therefore, the aim of this study was to identify the factors associated with husbands' involvement in maternal health in Myanmar.

G6PD testing in support of treatment and elimination of malaria: recommendations for evaluation of G6PD tests.

Malaria elimination will be possible only with serious attempts to address asymptomatic infection and chronic infection by both Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax. Currently available drugs that can completely clear a human of P. vivax (known as "radical cure"), and that can reduce transmission of malaria parasites, are those in the 8-aminoquinoline drug family, such as primaquine.