Antifungals susceptibility pattern of isolated from female genital tract at the Yaoundé Bethesda Hospital in Cameroon.

Introduction: Vaginal candidiasis is considered as an important public health problem worldwide and its incidence has increased nowadays. In recent years, inappropriate and disproportionate use of antifungal drugs, automedication as well as non compliance have caused drug resistance.

Methods: This study aimed at determining the antifungal susceptibility patterns of isolated from female genital tract at in Cameroon.

Examining Intervention Design: Lessons from the Development of Eight Related Malaria Health Care Intervention Studies.

-Rigorous evidence of "what works" to improve health care is in demand, but methods for the development of interventions have not been scrutinized in the same ways as methods for evaluation. This article presents and examines intervention development processes of eight malaria health care interventions in East and West Africa. A case study approach was used to draw out experiences and insights from multidisciplinary teams who undertook to design and evaluate these studies.

Economic evaluation of a cluster randomized trial of interventions to improve health workers' practice in diagnosing and treating uncomplicated malaria in Cameroon.

Background: Malaria rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) are a valid alternative to malaria testing with microscopy and are recommended for the testing of febrile patients before prescribing an antimalarial. There is a need for interventions to support the uptake of RDTs by health workers.

Objective: To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of introducing RDTs with basic or enhanced training in health facilities in which microscopy was available, compared with current practice.

Basic or enhanced clinician training to improve adherence to malaria treatment guidelines: a cluster-randomised trial in two areas of Cameroon.

Background: The scale-up of malaria rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) is intended to improve case management of fever and targeting of artemisinin-based combination therapy. Habitual presumptive treatment has hampered these intentions, suggesting a need for strategies to support behaviour change. We aimed to assess the introduction of RDTs when packaged with basic or enhanced clinician training interventions in Cameroon.

Designing and implementing interventions to change clinicians' practice in the management of uncomplicated malaria: lessons from Cameroon.

Background: Effective case management of uncomplicated malaria is a fundamental pillar of malaria control. Little is known about the various steps in designing interventions to accompany the roll out of rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) and artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT). This study documents the process of designing and implementing interventions to change clinicians' practice in the management of uncomplicated malaria.

'As a clinician, you are not managing lab results, you are managing the patient': how the enactment of malaria at health facilities in Cameroon compares with new WHO guidelines for the use of malaria tests.

In response to widespread overuse of antimalarial drugs, the World Health Organisation changed guidelines in 2010 to restrict the use of antimalarials to parasitologically confirmed malaria cases. Malaria rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) have been presented as a means to realize the new guidelines, and National Malaria Control Programmes, including that of Cameroon, are developing plans to introduce the tests to replace microscopy or clinical diagnosis at public health facilities across the country. We aimed to understand how malaria tests and antimalarial drugs are currently used as part of social interactions between health workers and patients at public and mission health facilities in Yaoundé and Bamenda and surrounding districts in the Northwest region of Cameroon.

A cost-effectiveness analysis of provider interventions to improve health worker practice in providing treatment for uncomplicated malaria in Cameroon: a study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Governments and donors all over Africa are searching for sustainable, affordable and cost-effective ways to improve the quality of malaria case management. Widespread deficiencies have been reported in the prescribing and counselling practices of health care providers treating febrile patients in both public and private health facilities. Cameroon is no exception with low levels of adherence to national guidelines, the frequent selection of non-recommended antimalarials and the use of incorrect dosages.

Malaria prevalence and treatment of febrile patients at health facilities and medicine retailers in Cameroon.

Objective: To investigate the quality of malaria case management in Cameroon 5 years after the adoption of artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT). Treatment patterns were examined in different types of facility, and the factors associated with being prescribed or receiving an ACT were investigated.

Methods: A cross-sectional cluster survey was conducted among individuals of all ages who left public and private health facilities and medicine retailers in Cameroon and who reported seeking treatment for a fever.

Host candidate gene polymorphisms and clearance of drug-resistant Plasmodium falciparum parasites.

Background: Resistance to anti-malarial drugs is a widespread problem for control programmes for this devastating disease. Molecular tests are available for many anti-malarial drugs and are useful tools for the surveillance of drug resistance. However, the correlation of treatment outcome and molecular tests with particular parasite markers is not perfect, due in part to individuals who are able to clear genotypically drug-resistant parasites.