Satisfaction of Malaria Patients with Care by Community Health Workers Trained in Microscopy: A Mixed-Methods Study in Palawan, the Philippines.

Palawan is the malaria-endemic province with the highest prevalence of malaria in the Philippines, and microscopists (community health workers) have been allowed to deliver early diagnosis and prompt treatment of malaria throughout the province since 1999. To improve the quality of care, the present mixed-methods study attempted to identify the factors associated with satisfaction of patients in Palawan with their microscopists by analyzing the patients' perspectives. First, a quantitative cross-sectional study was conducted among 48 ex-patients and their nine microscopists.

Entamoeba histolytica infections in a slum community in Manila, Philippines as detected by stool ELISA.

This study aimed to determine the prevalence of Entamoeba histolytica in BASECO, an urban slum community situated in Manila Harbor, Manila, Philippines using stool enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). It also aimed to determine if age, sex, and geographic location are contributory factors to the prevalence of E. histolytica.

Evaluation of crude adult Ascaris suum intestinal tract homogenate in inducing protective IgG production against A. suum larvae in BALB/c mice.

Globally, ascariasis ranks as the second leading intestinal helminth infection. However, progress in developing better control strategies, such as vaccines, remains slow-paced. This study aims to measure antibody production and parasite load in male BALB/c mice immunized with crude Ascaris suum intestinal tract homogenate.

Factors determining job satisfaction of malaria community microscopists in Palawan, the Philippines: a cross-sectional mixed-methods study.

Background: This study was conducted to investigate the overall job satisfaction and its associated factors among microscopists as community health workers who specialize in malaria microscopic diagnosis and treatment in Palawan, the Philippines. The study offered new insights to further lessen the burden of malaria and improve treatment by enhancing their commitment and satisfaction.

Methods: A quantitative study was conducted with 217 microscopists who were asked about their sociodemographic characteristics, ability as microscopists (service quality, knowledge of malaria and ability to diagnose malaria by microscopy [malaria microscopy]) and job satisfaction.

Prevalence of Entamoeba histolytica and Entamoeba dispar among residents of an urban slum area in Manila, Philippines as detected by the polymerase chain reaction.

This study aimed to determine the prevalence of Entamoeba histolytica and Entamoeba dispar infections among residents in BASECO compound, Manila, Philippines using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Formalin-ether concentration technique (FECT)-treated stool samples were examined under the light microscope to determine the presence of Entamoeba, helminths and other protozoan parasites. DNA was directly extracted from the FECT-treated samples and was subjected to PCR to determine E.

Bottom-up approach to strengthen community-based malaria control strategy from community health workers' perceptions of their past, present, and future: a qualitative study in Palawan, Philippines.

Background: Microscopists have active roles in bringing malaria diagnosis and treatment closer to households in Palawan, the highest malaria-endemic province in the Philippines. To accelerate the elimination of malaria in Palawan, we performed a study based on the bottom-up approach to provide profound data to strengthen this community-based malaria control from the microscopists' point of view.

Methods: We performed a qualitative cross-sectional study in Palawan.

Subtype analysis of Blastocystis sp. isolates from human and canine hosts in an urban community in the Philippines.

Blastocystis sp. is a common gut-dwelling protist of both humans and animals. A cross-sectional survey among humans and their dogs was conducted to determine the prevalence of Blastocystis infection and to characterize the subtype (ST) distribution in an urban community in the Philippines.

Patient Knowledge on Malaria Symptoms Is a Key to Promoting Universal Access of Patients to Effective Malaria Treatment in Palawan, the Philippines.

Introduction: Palawan, where health care facilities are still limited, is one of the most malaria endemic provinces in the Philippines. Since 1999, microscopists (community health workers) have been trained in malaria diagnosis and feasibility of early diagnosis and treatments have been enhanced throughout the province. To accelerate the universal access of malaria patients to diagnostic testing in Palawan, positive health seeking behavior should be encouraged when malaria infection is suspected.

Epidemiologic Study of Blastocystis Infection in an Urban Community in the Philippines.

Blastocystis has been considered as the most common intestinal parasite in humans and has an augmented impact on public health. However, the prevalence of this parasite in the Philippines has not been determined. To contribute to a better understanding of the epidemiology of this infection, a cross-sectional study aimed at providing the first documented data on the prevalence and correlates, sociodemographic factors, hygiene practices, source of water supply, and dog ownership, associated with Blastocystis infection was carried out in randomly selected communities at Pateros, Metro Manila.

Determining the impact of community awareness-raising activities on the prevention of malaria transmission in Palawan, the Philippines.

Palawan has the highest malaria endemicity in the Philippines, and malaria remains a major health burden in the region. In 1999, 344 microscopists were trained in Palawan. This allowed for early diagnosis and prompt treatment throughout the island.

Determining the active role of microscopists in community awareness-raising activities for malaria prevention: a cross-sectional study in Palawan, the Philippines.

Background: Malaria remains one of the most prevalent and fatal diseases among the inhabitants of Palawan in the Philippines. Palawan, where healthcare services remain limited, has the highest malaria endemicity in the country. To eliminate malaria, effective prevention measures should be conducted alongside early diagnosis and prompt treatment, which are the major tasks of the trained microscopists in Palawan.

Characterization of the Population Demographics and the MSP-1 Block 2 Allele Gene Frequencies of P. falciparum Infected Individuals in Davao, Philippines.

Plasmodium falciparum is one of the causative agents of malaria in humans. This parasite causes the most severe forms of the disease. In order to combat the disease, it is important to have knowledge about the parasite and its interaction with its host.

Localization and expression profiling of a 31 kDa antigenic repetitive protein Sjp_0110390 in Schistosoma japonicum life stages.

Sj7TR is a 13 kDa repetitive region of a 31 kDa protein in Schistosoma japonicum known as Sjp_0110390 that showed high sensitivity and specificity in antibody detection against schistosomiasis patients. However, the current database for S. japonicum genes characterized it only as an expressed protein.

Human antibody response to thioredoxin peroxidase-1 and tandem repeat proteins as immunodiagnostic antigen candidates for Schistosoma japonicum infection.

Schistosomiasis continues to be a public health problem in many tropical and subtropical countries. Improving the diagnostic tools for surveillance and monitoring in areas that have reached elimination level will help hasten the possible elimination of this disease. This study therefore aims to develop enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay through the use of recombinant proteins such as thioredoxin peroxidase-1 (SjTPx-1) and four tandem repeat proteins (Sj1TR, Sj2TR, Sj4TR, and Sj7TR).

Phylogenetic relationship of Plasmodium falciparum populations in the Philippines.

Malaria is one of the major infectious diseases in the Philippines. It is being targeted for control through sustained early diagnosis, treatment and mosquito control. It is in this light that understanding the genetic background of the parasite population is important not only for basic biology of the organism but also for epidemiology and control of the disease.