Comparison of conventional and non-invasive diagnostic tools for detecting Plasmodium falciparum infection in southwestern Cameroon: a cross-sectional study.

Background: Malaria remains a significant health challenge in sub-Saharan Africa, with early diagnosis critical to reducing its morbidity and mortality. Despite the increasing Plasmodium spp. diagnostic capabilities, access to testing is limited in some cases by the almost absolute requirement for blood from potentially infected subjects as the only sample source for all conventional methods.