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Abstract Background Both treatment and prevention strategies are recommended by the World Health Organization for the control of malaria during pregnancy in tropical areas. The aim of this study was to assess use of a rapid diagnostic test for prompt management of malaria in pregnancy in Bangui, Central African Republic. Methods A cohort of 76 pregnant women was screened systematically for malaria with ParacheckPf® at each antenatal visit. The usefulness of the method was analysed by comparing the number of malaria episodes requiring treatment in the cohort with the number of prescriptions received by another group of pregnant women followed-up in routine antenatal care. Results In the cohort group, the proportion of positive ParacheckPf® episodes during antenatal clinics visits was 13.8%, while episodes of antimalarial prescriptions in the group which was followed-up routinely by antenatal personnel was estimated at 26.3%. Hence, the relative risk of the cohort for being prescribed an antimalarial drug was 0.53. Therefore, the attributable fraction of presumptive treatment avoided by systematic screening with ParacheckPf® was 47%. Conclusions Use of a rapid diagnostic test is useful, affordable and easy for adequate treatment of malaria in pregnant women. More powerful studies of the usefulness of introducing the test into antenatal care are needed in all heath centres in the country and in other tropical areas.

Background Rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) are the current complement to microscopy for ensuring prompt malaria treatment. We determined the performance of three candidate RDTs (ParacheckTMPf, SD Bioline malaria Ag-Pf and SD Bioline malaria Ag-Pf/pan) for rapid diagnosis of malaria in the Central African Republic. Methods Blood samples from consecutive febrile patients who attended for laboratory analysis of malaria at the three main health centres of Bangui were screened by microscopy and the RDTs. Two reference standards were used to assess the performance of the RDTs: microscopy and, a combination of microscopy plus nested PCR for slides reported as negative, on the assumption that negative results by microscopy were due to sub-patent parasitaemia. Results We analysed 436 samples. Using the combined reference standard of microscopy + PCR, the sensitivity of ParacheckTM-Pf was 85.7% (95% CI, 80.8–89.8%), that of SD Bioline Ag-Pf was 85.4% (95% CI, 80.5–90.7%), and that of SD Bioline Ag-Pf/pan was 88.2% (95% CI, 83.2–92.0%). The tests performed less well in cases of low parasitaemia; however, the sensitivity was > 95% at > 500 parasites/μl. Conclusions Overall, SD Bioline malaria Ag-Pf and SD Bioline malaria Ag-Pf/pan performed slightly better than ParacheckTM-Pf. Use of RDTs with reinforced microscopy practice and laboratory quality assurance should improve malaria treatment in the Central African Republic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction. The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of malaria among women giving birth in Bangui. Association between sociodemographic characteristics of those women and malaria, as well as prevention compliance (use of intermittent preventive treatment with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (IPTsp) and insecticide-treated bed nets (ITNs)), was analyzed. Methods. During September 2009, a survey was conducted on 328 women who gave birth at two main maternities of Bangui. Information was obtained by standardized questionnaire about sociodemographic criteria, IPTsp, other antimalarial treatment, and use of bet nets. Smears prepared from peripheral and placental blood were analysed for malaria parasites. Findings and Discussion. Positive results were found in 2.8% of thick peripheral blood smears and in 4.0% of placental slides. A proportion of 30.5% of the women had received at least two doses of IPTsp during the current pregnancy. Only a proportion of 42.4% of this study population had ITNs. Multigravid women were less likely to use IPTsp and ITNs. However, use of IPTsp was associated with personal income and secondary or university educational status. Hence, although this relatively prevalence was observed, more efforts are needed to implement IPTsp and ITNs, taking into account sociodemographic criteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction. The aim of this study was to identify the antimalarials prescribed during the pregnancy and to document their timing. Method. From June to September 2009, a survey was conducted on 565 women who gave birth in the Castors maternity in Bangui. The antenatal clinics cards were checked in order to record the types of antimalarials prescribed during pregnancy according to gestational age. Results. A proportion of 28.8% ANC cards contained at least one antimalarial prescription. The commonest categories of antimalarials prescribed were: quinine (56.7%), artemisinin-based combinations (26.8%) and artemisinin monotherapy (14.4%). Among the prescriptions that occurred in the first trimester of pregnancy, artemisinin-based combinations and artemisinin monotherapies represented the proportions of (10.9%) and (13.3%). respectively. Conclusion. This study showed a relatively high rate (>80%) of the recommended antimalarials prescription regarding categories of indicated antimalarials from national guidelines. But, there is a concern about the prescription of the artemisinin derivatives in the first trimester of pregnancy, and the prescription of artemisinin monotherapy. Thus, the reinforcement of awareness activities of health care providers on the national malaria treatment during pregnancy is suggested.

This paper reports a two-phase study in Bangui, Central African Republic (CAR): first, we assessed the clinical efficacy to chloroquine (CQ), sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP), and amodiaquine (AQ), then we tested the efficacy of two combinations: CQ + SP and AQ + SP. We used the standard 14-day WHO 2001 protocol to compare therapeutic responses in children under 5 years of age with acute uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria in Bangui between February 2002 and March 2004. The overall treatment failure rates with CQ, AQ, SP, CQ + SP, and AQ + SP were 40.9%, 20.0%, 22.8%, 7.2%, and 0%. These findings suggest that the Ministry of Health should recommend an interim policy with AQ + SP combination as the first-line antimalarial drug in Bangui until best alternative treatments like artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) become available at low prices in the CAR.