PMID: 20099669Jan 27, 2010Paper

Management of malaria in Benin: evaluation of the practices of healthcare professionals following the introduction of artemisinin derivatives

Médecine tropicale : revue du Corps de santé colonial
Aurore Ogouyèmi-HountoAchille Massougbodji

Abstract

In 2004 the policy for malaria management in Benin changed when the National Malaria Coordination Program (NMCP) introduced artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) for treatment of uncomplicated malaria. Up to that time, chloroquine had been used for first-line therapy against uncomplicated malaria and sulfadoxine pyrimethamine had been used in case of failure. Artemisinin derivatives have been used for monotherapy in Benin since 2002. The purpose of this transverse study carried out among public and private centers in Cotonou from March 16 to May 17, 2005 was to determine the impact of the switch to ACT on the practices of healthcare professionals. Medical centers were randomly selected from each stratum after identification and stratification of all facilities in the healthcare pyramid. A survey questionnaire was sent to healthcare workers. A total of 690 health workers responded to the questionnaire. Most responders (95.5%) were familiar with artemisinin but a lower percentage (89.6%) prescribed them. Responders were less knowledgable about ACT drugs and Coartem was the best known combination in the minds of prescribers. Biological diagnosis was available for 50% of patients. Artemisinine (derivates) were mainly prescrib...Continue Reading

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