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Background: In 2017, WHO recognized scabies as a neglected tropical disease. The optimal treatment is not well defined in some communities. Objective: This study aimed to compare ivermectin and benzyl benzoate in the treatment of scabies in Koranic schools (or "daara") in Dakar (region). Methods: This was a prospective randomized trial conducted from January to October 2018 in Senegal. Any resident living in the selected "daara" and diagnosed with scabies was included. The administered treatments were benzyl benzoate (BB) or ivermectin. At the outset, if one case of scabies was diagnosed, all residents received treatment. Ivermectin was given at the dose of 200 mg/kg. The same treatment was repeated on day 7 for each group, the endpoint was at D14, and the data were analyzed with STATA 14. Results: Fifteen "daara" were included. Of the 959 residents, 70 were diagnosed with scabies: prevalence of 7.29%. All patients except one were male; the mean age was 9.98 years (4-17). At D14, in the BB arm, cure rate was 42.85% (n = 15) while in the ivermectin arm, this rate was 5.71% (n = 2) with a significant difference (p = 0.01). On D28, the cure rate was still higher in the BB group 57.14 (n=20) versus ivermectin 21.42 (n = 6) with a significant difference (p = 0.004). On D42, all patients except eight were cured. At D14, we found a link between the cure rate, the number of people in the room (p = 0.01), and the number of showers per week (p = 0.01) but no link with the number of people per "daara" (p = 0.163). At D28, we found a link between the cure rate, the number of people sleeping in the room (p = 0.03), and the number of showers per week (p = 0.01) but not with the number of people per "daara" (p = 0.07). Conclusion: In Koranic schools, the cure rate is higher with benzyl benzoate compared to ivermectin.

Abstract Background This multicentre study was carried out in Cameroon, Ivory Coast and Senegal to evaluate the non-inferiority of the new paediatric formulation of artesunate/amodiaquine (AS+AQ)(Camoquin-Plus Paediatric®) in suspension form versus artemether/lumefantrine (AL)(Coartem®) in the management of African children with uncomplicated falciparum malaria. Methods It was an open randomized trial including children aged between 7 months and 7 years. The endpoints were Adequate Clinical and Parasitological Response (ACPR) at day 28, the clinical and biological tolerability. Statistical analyses were done in Intention To Treat (ITT) and in Per protocol (PP). Results At the end of the study 481 patients were enrolled in the three countries (249 in the AS+AQ arm and 232 in the AL arm). ACRP in ITT after PCR correction did not show any statistical difference between the two groups with 97.6% for AS+AQ versus 94.8% for AL. In the PP analysis, the corrected ACRP were respectively 98.7% and 96.9% for the two regimens. The clinical tolerance was good without significant difference. Anaemia was significantly higher at D7 in the two groups compared to D0. Conclusion This study demonstrates the non-inferiority of AS+AQ versus AL, its efficacy and tolerance in the management of uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria in African children.

Abstract Background Prompt treatment of malaria attacks with arteminisin-based combination therapy (ACT) is an essential tool for malaria control. A new co-blister tablet of artesunate-mefloquine (AM) with 25 mg/kg mefloquine has been developed for the management of uncomplicated malaria attacks. This non-inferiority randomized trial, was conducted to evaluate the efficacy and safety of the new formulation of AM in comparison to artemether-lumefantrine (AL) for the treatment of acute uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria in adults in Senegal. Methods The study was carried out from September to December 2010 in two health centres in Senegal. The study end points included (i) PCR corrected adequate clinical and parasitological response (ACPR) at day 28, (ii) ACPR at days 42 and 63, (iii) parasites and fever clearance time, (iv) incidence of adverse events and patients biological profile at day 7 using the WHO 2003 protocol for anti-malarial drug evaluation. Results Overall, 310 patients were randomized to receive either AM (n = 157) or AL (n = 153). PCR corrected ACPR at day 28 was at 95.5% in the AM arm while that in the AL arm was at 96.7% (p = 0.83). Therapeutic efficacy was at 98.5% in the AM arm versus 98.2% in the AL group at day 42 (p = 1). At day 63, ACPR in the AM and AL arms was at 98.2% and 97.7%, respectively (p = 0.32). The two treatments were well tolerated with similar biological profile at day 7. However, dizziness was more frequent in the AM arm. Conclusion Artesunate-mefloquine (25 mg/Kg mefloquine) is efficacious and well-tolerated for the treatment of uncomplicated P. falciparum malaria in adult patients.

Abstract Background As more point of care diagnostics become available, the need to transport and store perishable medical commodities to remote locations increases. As with other diagnostics, malaria rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) must be highly reliable at point of use, but exposure to adverse environmental conditions during distribution has the potential to degrade tests and accuracy. In remote locations, poor quality diagnostics and drugs may have significant negative health impact that is not readily detectable by routine monitoring. This study assessed temperature and humidity throughout supply chains used to transport and store health commodities, such as RDTs. Methods Monitoring devices capable of recording temperature and humidity were deployed to Burkina Faso (8), Senegal (10), Ethiopia (13) and the Philippines (6) over a 13-month period. The devices travelled through government supply chains, usually alongside RDTs, to health facilities where RDTs are stored, distributed and used. The recording period spanned just over a year, in order to avoid any biases related to seasonal temperature variations. Results In the four countries, storage and transport temperatures regularly exceeded 30.0°C; maximum humidity level recorded was above 94% for the four countries. In three of the four countries, temperatures recorded at central storage facilities exceeded pharmaceutical storage standards for over 20% of the time, in another case for a majority of the time; and sometimes exceeded storage temperatures at peripheral sites. Conclusions Malaria RDTs were regularly exposed to temperatures above recommended limits for many commercially-available RDTs and other medical commodities such as drugs, but rarely exceeded the recommended storage limits for particular products in use in these countries. The results underline the need to select RDTs, and other commodities, according to expected field conditions, actively manage the environmental conditions in supply chains in tropical and sub-tropical climates. This would benefit from a re-visit of current global standards on stability of medical commodities based in tropical and sub-tropical climatic zones.

Abstract Background Malaria and anaemia (Haemoglobin Methods Study participants were randomly selected from a list of children who participated in a survey in December 2010. Children aged from 1 to 10 years with haemoglobin level below 11 g/dl represented cases (anaemic children). Control participants were eligible if of same age group and their haemoglobin level was >= 11 g/dl. For each participant, a physical examination was done and anthropometric data collected prior to a biological assessment which included: malaria parasitaemia infection, intestinal worm carriage, G6PD deficiency, sickle cell disorders, and alpha-talassaemia. Results Three hundred and fifty two children < 10 years of age were enrolled (176 case and 176 controls). In a logistic regression analysis, anaemia was significantly associated with malaria parasitaemia (aOR=5.23, 95%CI[1.1-28.48]), sickle cell disorders (aOR=2.89, 95%CI[1,32-6.34]), alpha-thalassemia (aOR=1.82, 95%CI[1.2-3.35]), stunting (aOR=3.37, 95%CI[1.93-5.88], age ranged from 2 to 4 years (aOR=0.13, 95%CI[0.05-0.31]) and age > 5 years (aOR=0.03, 95%CI[0.01-0.08]). Stratified by age group, anaemia was significantly associated with stunting in children less than 5 years (aOR=3.1 95%CI[1.4 – 6.8]), with, sickle cell disorders (aOR=3.5 95%CI [1.4 – 9.0]), alpha-thalassemia (or=2.4 95%CI[1.1–5.3]) and stunting (aOR=3.6 95%CI [1.6–8.2]) for children above 5 years. No association was found between G6PD deficiency, intestinal worm carriage and children’s gender. Conclusion Malaria parasitaemia, stunting and haemoglobin genetic disorders represented the major causes of anaemia among study participants. Anaemia control in this area could be achieved by developing integrated interventions targeting both malaria and malnutrition.

Abstract Background Current malaria control strategies recommend (i) early case detection using rapid diagnostic tests (RDT) and treatment with artemisinin combination therapy (ACT), (ii) pre-referral rectal artesunate, (iii) intermittent preventive treatment and (iv) impregnated bed nets. However, these individual malaria control interventions provide only partial protection in most epidemiological situations. Therefore, there is a need to investigate the potential benefits of integrating several malaria interventions to reduce malaria prevalence and morbidity. Methods A randomized controlled trial was carried out to assess the impact of combining seasonal intermittent preventive treatment in children (IPTc) with home-based management of malaria (HMM) by community health workers (CHWs) in Senegal. Eight CHWs in eight villages covered by the Bonconto health post, (South Eastern part of Senegal) were trained to diagnose malaria using RDT, provide prompt treatment with artemether-lumefantrine for uncomplicated malaria cases and pre-referral rectal artesunate for complicated malaria occurring in children under 10 years. Four CHWs were randomized to also administer monthly IPTc as single dose of sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP) plus three doses of amodiaquine (AQ) in the malaria transmission season, October and November 2010. Primary end point was incidence of single episode of malaria attacks over 8 weeks of follow up. Secondary end points included prevalence of malaria parasitaemia, and prevalence of anaemia at the end of the transmission season. Primary analysis was by intention to treat. The study protocol was approved by the Senegalese National Ethical Committee (approval 0027/MSP/DS/CNRS, 18/03/2010). Results A total of 1,000 children were enrolled. The incidence of malaria episodes was 7.1/100 child months at risk [95% CI (3.7-13.7)] in communities with IPTc + HMM compared to 35.6/100 child months at risk [95% CI (26.7-47.4)] in communities with only HMM (aOR = 0.20; 95% CI 0.09-0.41; p = 0.04). At the end of the transmission season, malaria parasitaemia prevalence was lower in communities with IPTc + HMM (2.05% versus 4.6% p = 0.03). Adjusted for age groups, sex, Plasmodium falciparum carriage and prevalence of malnutrition, IPTc + HMM showed a significant protective effect against anaemia (aOR = 0.59; 95% CI 0.42-0.82; p = 0.02). Conclusion Combining IPTc and HMM can provide significant additional benefit in preventing clinical episodes of malaria as well as anaemia among children in Senegal.

Abstract Background The use of artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) is currently recommended for treating uncomplicated malaria. The objective was to assess the efficacy and safety of repeated administrations of two fixed-dose presentations of ACT - artesunate plus amodiaquine (ASAQ) and artemether-lumefantrine (AL) - in subsequent episodes of Plasmodium falciparum malaria. Methods A randomized comparative study was conducted in a rural community of central Senegal from August 2007 to January 2009. Children and adults with uncomplicated P. falciparum malaria were randomized to receive open-label ASAQ once daily or AL twice daily for three days. Drug doses were given according to body weight. Treatments for first episodes were supervised. For subsequent episodes, only the first intake of study drug was supervised. ECGs and audiograms were performed in patients ≥12 years of age. Primary outcome was adequate clinical and parasitological response rate (ACPR) after polymerase chain reaction (PCR) correction on day 28 for the first episode. Results A total of 366 patients were enrolled in the two groups (ASAQ 184, AL 182) and followed up during two malaria transmission seasons. In the intent-to-treat population, PCR-corrected ACPRs at day 28 for the first episode were 98.4% and 96.2%, respectively, in the ASAQ and AL groups. For the per-protocol population (ASAQ 183, AL 182), PCR-corrected ACPRs at day 28 for the first episode were 98.9% and 96.7%, respectively. A 100% ACPR rate was obtained at day 28 in the 60 and four patients, respectively, who experienced second and third episodes. Treatment-related adverse events were reported in 11.7% of the patients, without significant differences between the two groups. A better improvement of haemoglobin at day 28 was noted in the ASAQ versus the AL group (12.2 versus 11.8 g/dL; p = 0.03). No sign of ototoxicity was demonstrated. A prolongation of the QTc interval was observed in both groups during treatment with no clinical consequence. Conclusions Study results confirmed the satisfactory efficacy and safety profile of ASAQ and AL. Moreover, in patients who were treated at least twice, repeated administration of ASAQ or AL did not identify any major safety issues. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT00540410.

Abstract Background The choice of appropriate artemisinin-based combination therapy depends on several factors (cost, efficacy, safety, reinfection rate and simplicity of administration). To assess whether the combination dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine (DP) could be an alternative to artemether-lumefantrine (AL), the efficacy and the tolerability of the two products for the treatment of uncomplicated falciparum malaria in sub-Saharan Africa have been compared. Methods A multicentric open randomized controlled clinical trial of three-day treatment of DP against AL for the treatment of two parallel groups of patients aged two years and above and suffering from uncomplicated falciparum malaria was carried out in Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire and Senegal. Within each group, patients were randomly assigned supervised treatment. DP was given once a day for three days and AL twice a day for three days. Follow-up visits were performed on day 1 to 4 and on day 7, 14, 21, 28 to evaluate clinical and parasitological results. The primary endpoint was the recovery rate by day 28. Results Of 384 patients enrolled, 197 were assigned DP and 187 AL. The recovery rates adjusted by genotyping, 99.5% in the DP group and 98.9% in the AL group, were not statistically different (p = 0.538). No Early Therapeutic Failure (ETF) was observed. At day 28, two patients in the DP group and five in AL group had recurrent parasitaemia with Plasmodium falciparum. In the DP group, after PCR genotyping, one of the two recurrences was classified as a new infection and the other as recrudescence. In AL group, two recurrences were classified after correction by PCR as recrudescence. All cases of recrudescence were classified as Late Parasitological Failure (LPF). In each group, a rapid recovery from fever and parasitaemia was noticed. More than 90% of patients did no longer present fever or parasitaemia 48 hours after treatment. Both drugs were well tolerated. Indeed, no serious adverse events were reported during the follow-up period. Most of the adverse events which developed were moderate and did not result in the treatment being stopped in either treatment group. Conclusions Dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine was as effective and well-tolerated as artemether-lumefantrine in the treatment of uncomplicated falciparum malaria. In addition, dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine, a single daily dose, could be an advantage over artemether-lumefantrine in Africa because of better treatment observance.

Abstract Background The ACT recommended by WHO is very effective and well-tolerated. However, these combinations need to be administered for three days, which may limit adherence to treatment. The combination of dihydroartemisinin - piperaquine phosphate - trimethoprim (Artecom®, Odypharm Ltd), which involves treatment over two days, appears to be a good alternative, particularly in malaria-endemic areas. This study intends to compare the efficacy and tolerability of the combination dihydroartemisinin - piperaquine phosphate - trimethoprim (DPT) versus artemether - lumefantrine (AL) in the treatment of uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria in Cameroon, Ivory Coast and Senegal. Methods This was a randomized, controlled, open-label clinical trial with a 28-day follow-up period comparing DPT to AL as the reference drug. The study involved patients of at least two years of age, suffering from acute, uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria with fever. The WHO 2003 protocol was used. Results A total of 418 patients were included in the study and divided into two treatment groups: 212 in the DPT group and 206 in the AL group. The data analysis involved the 403 subjects who correctly followed the protocol (per protocol analysis), i.e. 206 (51.1%) in the DPT group and 197 (48.9%) in the AL group. The recovery rate at D14 was 100% in both treatment groups. The recovery rate at D28 was 99% in the DPT and AL groups before and after PCR results with one-sided 97.5% Confidence Interval of the rates difference > -1.90%. More than 96% of patients who received DPT were apyrexial 48 hours after treatment compared to 83.5% in the AL group (p < 0.001). More than 95% of the people in the DPT group had a parasite clearance time of 48 hours or less compared to approximately 90% in the AL group (p = 0.023). Both drugs were well tolerated. No serious adverse events were reported during the follow-up period. All of the adverse events observed were minor and did not result in the treatment being stopped in either treatment group. The main minor adverse events reported were vomiting, abdominal pain and pruritus. Conclusion The overall efficacy and tolerability of DPT are similar to those of AL. The ease of taking DPT and its short treatment course (two days) may help to improve adherence to treatment. Taken together, these findings make this medicinal product a treatment of choice for the effective management of malaria in Africa.

Abstract Background The use of artemisinin derivative-based combination therapy (ACT) such as artesunate plus amodiaquine is currently recommended for the treatment of uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria. Fixed-dose combinations are more adapted to patients than regimens involving multiple tablets and improve treatment compliance. A fixed-dose combination of artesunate + amodiaquine (ASAQ) was recently developed. To assess the efficacy and safety of this new combination and to define its optimum dosage regimen (once or twice daily) in the treatment of uncomplicated P. falciparum malaria, a multicentre clinical study was conducted. Methods A multicentre, randomized, controlled, investigator-blinded, parallel-group study was conducted in five African centers in Cameroon, Madagascar, Mali and Senegal from March to December 2006. Efficacy and safety of ASAQ were assessed compared to those of artemether + lumefantrine (AL). The WHO protocol with a 28-day follow-up for assessing the drug therapeutic efficacy was used. Patients suffering from uncomplicated P. falciparum malaria were randomized to receive ASAQ orally once daily (ASAQ1), ASAQ twice daily (ASAQ2) or AL twice daily (AL) for three days. The primary outcome was PCR-corrected parasitological cure rate and clinical response. Results Of 941 patients initially randomized and stratified into two age groups ( Conclusion The non-inferiority of ASAQ compared with AL was demonstrated. The fixed-dose combination artesunate + amodiaquine (ASAQ) is safe and efficacious even in young children under 5 years of age. Whilst administration on a twice-a-day basis does not improve the efficacy of ASAQ significantly, a once-a-day intake of this new combination clearly appears as an effective and safe therapy in the treatment of uncomplicated P. falciparum malaria both in adults and children. Implications of such findings are of primary importance in terms of public health especially in African countries. As most national policies plan to strengthen malaria control to reach the elimination of this disease, anti-malarial drugs such as the artesunate + amodiaquine fixed-dose ACT will play a pivotal role in this process. Trial registration The protocol was registered with the www.clinicaltrials.gov open clinical trial registry under the identifier number NCT00316329.

Abstract Background Artesunate plus amodiaquine is a coblistered ACT, given as a single daily intake. It has been suggested that, in view of the number of tablets to be taken (particularly in adults), it may be possible to improve compliance by allowing patients to divide the daily dose. The objectives of this randomized, comparative, open-label, multicentre study, conducted in Senegal and in Cameroon in 2005, was to demonstrate the non-inferiority and to compare the safety of artesunate plus amodiaquine, as a single daily intake versus two daily intakes. Methods A three-day treatment period and 14-day follow-up period was performed in any subject weighting more than 10 kg, presenting with a malaria paroxysm confirmed by parasitaemia ≥ 1,000/μl, after informed consent. Patients were randomly allocated into one of the two regimens, with dosage according to bodyweight range. All products were administered by an authorized person, blinded to both the investigating physician and the biologist. The primary endpoint was an adequate response to treatment on D14 (WHO definition). The two-sided 90% confidence interval of the difference was calculated on intent to treat (ITT) population; the acceptance limit for non-inferiority was 3%. The safety was evaluated by incidence of adverse events. Results Three-hundred and sixteen patients were included in the study. The two patient groups were strictly comparable on D0. The adequate responses to treatment were similar for the two treatment regimens on D14, PCR-corrected (99,4% in the one-daily intake group versus 99,3% in the comparative group). The statistical analyses demonstrated the non-inferiority of administering artesunate/amodiaquine as two intakes. The drug was well tolerated. The main adverse events were gastrointestinal disorders (2.5%) and pruritus (2.5%); safety profiles were similar in the two groups. Conclusion This pilot study confirms the efficacy and good tolerability of artesunate plus amodiaquine, administrated either in one or in two daily intakes.

Abstract Background Quinine injection is the reference treatment for malaria when oral administration is impossible. Quinine can also be administered by the intra-rectal route and, over the last ten years, a series of studies have been conducted in children to determine the ideal dose and dilution in the African situation. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the feasibility and usefulness of a kit for an immediate administration of quinine alkaloids (Quinimax®) by community health workers, prior to transfer of the child to a more sophisticated health care establishment. Methods A prospective, open, descriptive community intervention study conducted in northern Senegal at six village Health Units in children fewer than ten years of age with non-per-os malaria. Controls were given the routine care prior to transfer to a Health Center, and cases were in addition administered Quinimax® (20 mg/ml) via the intra-rectal route before transfer. Patients were followed through complete cure and parasitological tests were carried out on Days 0, 3 and 7. Results 134 patients (79 cases/55 controls) were recruited between November 2003 and May 2004 or October and November 2004. The two groups were comparable at inclusion. In the case group, oral drugs could be administered after a mean of 16.8 hours versus 33.6 hours in the control group. Time-to cure was shorter in cases than in controls. Complete parasite clearance was obtained in all patients by Day 7. The kit was well accepted by all concerned and more than 80% of community health workers judged the kit easy to use. Conclusion The emergency paediatric kit is a useful tool in the management of malaria in children who cannot be treated orally. It is feasible and easy to use for health workers in community-based Health Units where, according to the WHO, nearly 80% of malarial morbidity and mortality occurs.

Abstract Background In view of the high level of chloroquine resistance in many countries, WHO has recommended the use of combination therapy with artemisinin derivatives in the treatment of uncomplicated malaria due to Plasmodium falciparum. Four antimalarial drug combinations, artesunate plus amodiaquine (Arsucam®), artesunate plus mefloquine (Artequin®), artemether plus lumefantrine (Coartem®; four doses and six doses), and amodiaquine plus sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine, were studied in five health districts in Senegal. Methods This is a descriptive, analytical, open, randomized study to evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of these four antimalarial combinations in the treatment of uncomplicated falciparum malaria using the 2002 WHO protocol. Results All drug combinations demonstrated good efficacy. On day 28, all combinations resulted in an excellent clinical and parasitological response rate of 100% after correction for PCR results, except for the four-dose artemether-lumefantrine regimen (96.4%). Follow-up of approximately 10% of each treatment group on day 42 demonstrated an efficacy of 100%. The combinations were well tolerated clinically and biologically. No unexpected side-effect was observed and all side-effects disappeared at the end of treatment. No serious side-effect requiring premature termination of treatment was observed. Conclusion The four combinations are effective and well-tolerated.

The collective image of schistosomiasis in Africa remains that of a mainly human-driven disease; schistosomiasis inflicted a burden of >2.5 million disability-adjusted life-years in 2016 and required that [approximately equal [...]