Publication: Diagnosis and management of malaria by rural community health providers in the Lao People's Democratic Republic (Laos)
Issued Date
2007-04-01
Resource Type
ISSN
13653156
13602276
13602276
Other identifier(s)
2-s2.0-34247358256
Rights
Mahidol University
Rights Holder(s)
SCOPUS
Bibliographic Citation
Tropical Medicine and International Health. Vol.12, No.4 (2007), 540-546
Suggested Citation
Mayfong Mayxay, Tiengkham Pongvongsa, Samlane Phompida, Rattanaxay Phetsouvanh, Nicholas J. White, Paul N. Newton Diagnosis and management of malaria by rural community health providers in the Lao People's Democratic Republic (Laos). Tropical Medicine and International Health. Vol.12, No.4 (2007), 540-546. doi:10.1111/j.1365-3156.2007.01820.x Retrieved from: https://repository.li.mahidol.ac.th/handle/20.500.14594/24566
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Title
Diagnosis and management of malaria by rural community health providers in the Lao People's Democratic Republic (Laos)
Abstract
We assessed the knowledge of malaria diagnosis and management by community health providers in rural Vientiane and Savannakhet Provinces, Lao PDR. Sixty health providers (17 pharmacy owners/drug sellers and 43 village health volunteers) were interviewed. All diagnosed malaria using symptoms and signs only; 14% were aware of >2 criteria for the diagnosis of severe malaria. Although chloroquine and quinine, the then recommended Lao national policy for uncomplicated malaria treatment, were the most common antimalarials prescribed - 65% gave incorrect doses and 70% did not know the side effects. Although not recommended by the then national policy, 27% of the health providers used combinations of antimalarials as they considered monotherapy ineffective. This study strongly suggests that further training of Lao rural health providers in malaria diagnosis and management is needed to improve the quality of health services in areas remote from district hospitals. © 2007 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.