NEW PICTURES

NEW PICTURES
MOBILE CLINIC AT RUVUMA IN HANGA VILLAGE

Malaria

           1.     MALARIA DISEASE

Malaria is a disease caused by the parasite plasmodium and it is transmitted by the bite of an infected female anopheles mosquito. Fever or history of fever is a frequent clinical feature.

           Clinical features vary from mild to severe depending on:

·         Infecting species oft he parasite

·         Patent state of immunity

·         Itensity of infection

·         Presence of other co-morbidities e.g. malnutrition, anaemia, ect.

2.      COMMON SPECIES OF MALARIA

Malaria is caused by five plasmodium species, four which are human parasites are; Plasmodium falciparum, P. vivax, P. malariae and P. ovale. Most cases are caused by either Plasmodium falciparum or P. vivax, but human infections can also be caused by P. malariae and P. ovale.

3.     FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO TRANSMISSION OF MALARIA

The main determinants of transmission intensity of malaria are mosquito vectors’:

·         Density

·         Longevity

·         Biting habits

·         Efficiency

4.     CLINICAL FEATURES OF MALARIA

Clinical features of malaria

Fever

Headache

Joint pains

Malaise

Nausea and vomiting

Abdominal pain and Diarrhoea

Body ache

Poor appetite

Body weakness

Pallor

Enlarged spleen

5.     DIAGNOSIS OF MALARIA AT HEALTH FACILITY LEVEL

The two recommended diagnostic tests for routine confirmation of malaria diagnosis are quality malaria rapid diagnostic tests (mRDT) and quality malaria microscopy.

In principle thick and thin blood film microscopy examination remains the gold standard for the diagnosis. However, mRDT tests are as good as is routine microscopy in the diagnosis of falciparum malaria.

6.     MALARIA RDTs

Malaria RDTs are qualitative techniques which specifically detect antigens produced by malaria parasite. The test can be done by minimally trained staff, and are rapid as results can be obtained with 20 minutes.

In Tanzania mRDT enable malaria diagnostic testing to be performed at the primary health level without a laboratory infrastructure. Malaria RDT has high sensitivity for P. falciparum clinical malaria comparable with routine microscopy.

Malaria RDT testing is considered to be simple and able to be performed at the primary health care staff with minimum training. The routine field situation, this is incorrect assumption and unacceptable proportion of MRTD testing performed poorly, sometimes extremely poorly. A health worker performing mRDT can reduce mRDT sensitivity by:

·         Adding too much blood, which makes it difficult to read the results

·         Insufficient buffer

7.     SITUATION IN HANGA