Indiscriminate Malaria Treatment Averted through Training
In the recent past, presumptive malaria treatment was on the rise, resulting into inefficiencies and malaria interventions cost ineffectiveness. Not all fevers are caused by malaria and there is need for testing before treatment for malaria is given. It was revealed that drug pressure is the single most important factor in the development of resistance following presumptive antimalarial treatment (WHO 2002).
To reduce the increasing drug resistance, in all cases of fever, our efforts should be given to diagnose malaria with all possible means before commencing treatment. However, in complicated malaria or malaria with danger signs, its recommended that presumptive treatment may be started before confirmation after collecting blood for examination. UHMG, under the Global Fund program for malaria, carries out prevention activities, capacity building of health workers and village health teams (VHTs), diagnosis, integrated case management and treatment of malaria in 16 high prevalence districts in west Nile and central Uganda.
“At first, we used to treat every fever case received at the clinic as malaria. We did not even know the danger it creates; we thought it was worthwhile to treat everybody we suspected having malaria. The Integrated Malaria Management (IMM) has enlightened us on the dangers of presumptive treatment and many other issues regarding prevention , diagnosis and treatment of malaria. I have already shared the information obtained from the IMM training with my colleague the midwife. It has benefited the entire clinic.” Urban Musinguzi.
The IMM training covers a wide range of issues ranging from malaria prevention strategies, to Integrated Community Case Management (ICCM), diagnosis, treatment, effective linkages and data management.
"The training also revealed to me the importance of data management and we have obviously improved in other areas of running the clinic due to good documentation. I want to thank UHMG immensely for the training.” Urban Musinguzi.
Musinguzi appreciated the training and urged UHMG to continue empowering other service providers in proper diagnosis, treatment and data management. The IMM trainings were conducted in 8 selected West Nile districts with the most need of, benefiting over 399 health workers. UHMG also conducted ICCM trainings benefiting over 6000 VHTs between January 2015 and June 2016.
