Efficacy and safety of artesunate-amodiaquine and artemether-lumefantrine and prevalence of molecular markers associated with resistance, Guinea: an open-label two-arm randomised controlled trial.

Background: Anti-malarial resistance is a threat to recent gains in malaria control. This study aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of artesunate-amodiaquine (ASAQ) and artemether-lumefantrine (AL) in the management of uncomplicated malaria and to measure the prevalence of molecular markers of resistance of Plasmodium falciparum in sentinel sites in Maferinyah and Labé Health Districts in Guinea in 2016.

Methods: This was a two-arm randomised controlled trial of the efficacy of AL and ASAQ among children aged 6-59 months with uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria in two sites.

Using Short Message Service Alerts to Increase Antenatal Care and Malaria Prevention: Findings from Implementation Research Pilot in Guinea.

Intermittent preventive treatment with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP) is recommended to prevent malaria in pregnancy. Treatment coverage, particularly for three or more doses, is dependent on pregnant women attending antenatal care (ANC) services as scheduled. The StopPalu project pilot tested short message services (SMSs) to remind women of upcoming ANC visits in the Conakry and Kindia regions of Guinea.

Prescriber practices and patient adherence to artemisinin-based combination therapy for the treatment of uncomplicated malaria in Guinea, 2016.

Background: The World Health Organization recommends the use of artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) to treat uncomplicated malaria for the control of malaria across the world. There are several types of ACT used across malaria-endemic countries, yet there is little information about preferences and adherence practices regarding different types of ACT. The objective of this study was to evaluate levels of adherence to two types of ACT, artemether-lumefantrine (AL) and artesunate + amodiaquine (ASAQ), for the treatment of uncomplicated malaria among prescribers and patients in Guinea in 2016.

Evaluating the quality of routinely reported data on malaria commodity stocks in Guinea, 2014-2016.

Background: Ensuring malaria commodity availability at health facilities is a cornerstone of malaria control. Since 2013, the Guinea National Malaria Control Programme has been routinely collecting data on stock levels of key malaria commodities through a monthly routine malaria information system (RMIS). In parallel, biannual end-user verification (EUV) surveys have also assessed malaria commodity availability at a subset of health facilities, potentially representing a duplication of efforts.

Rapid Epidemiological and Entomological Survey for Validation of Reported Indicators and Characterization of Local Malaria Transmission in Guinea, 2017.

To confirm and investigate possible explanations for unusual trends in malaria indicators, a protocol for rapid, focal assessment of malaria transmission and control interventions was piloted in N'Zérékoré and Macenta Prefectures, which each reported surprisingly low incidence of malaria during the peak transmission months during 2017 in holoendemic Forested Guinea. In each prefecture, epidemiological and entomological cross-sectional surveys were conducted in two sub-prefectures reporting high incidence and one sub-prefecture reporting low incidence. Investigators visited six health facilities and 356 households, tested 476 children, performed 14 larval breeding site transects, and conducted 12 nights of human landing catches during the 2-week investigation.

How Far Are We from Reaching Universal Malaria Testing of All Fever Cases?

Universal malaria diagnostic testing of all fever cases is the first step in correct malaria case management. However, monitoring adherence to universal testing is complicated by unreliable recording and reporting of the true number of fever cases. We searched the literature to obtain gold-standard estimates for the proportion of patients attending outpatient clinics in sub-Saharan Africa with malarial and non-malarial febrile illness.

Adherence to Ebola-specific malaria case management guidelines at health facilities in Guinea during the West African Ebola epidemic.

Background: Malaria case management in the context of the 2014-2016 West African Ebola virus disease (EVD) epidemic was complicated by a similar initial clinical presentation of the two diseases. In September 2014, the World Health Organization (WHO) released recommendations titled, "Guidance on temporary malaria control measures in Ebola-affected countries", which aimed at reducing the risk of EVD transmission and improving malaria outcomes. This guidance recommended malaria diagnostic testing of fever cases only if adequate personal protective equipment (PPE) was available, defined as examination gloves, face shield, disposable gown, boots, and head cover; otherwise presumptive anti-malarial treatment was recommended.

Encouraging impact following 2.5 years of reinforced malaria control interventions in a hyperendemic region of the Republic of Guinea.

Background: Malaria is one of the principal causes of morbidity and mortality in the Republic of Guinea, particularly in the highly endemic regions. To assist in malaria control efforts, a multi-component malaria control intervention was implemented in the hyperendemic region of Guéckédou Prefecture. The coverage of the intervention and its impact on malaria parasite prevalence were assessed.

Effect of the Ebola-virus-disease epidemic on malaria case management in Guinea, 2014: a cross-sectional survey of health facilities.

Background: The ongoing west Africa Ebola-virus-disease epidemic has disrupted the entire health-care system in affected countries. Because of the overlap of symptoms of Ebola virus disease and malaria, the care delivery of malaria is particularly sensitive to the indirect effects of the current Ebola-virus-disease epidemic. We therefore characterise malaria case management in the context of the Ebola-virus-disease epidemic and document the effect of the Ebola-virus-disease epidemic on malaria case management.