Malaria: What are the Needs for Diagnosis, Treatment and Control?

Abstract

According to the World Health Organization, malaria has been noted for many years in the world causing a life threatening effects. Despite progress in fighting malaria worldwide, the disease kills 236,000-635,000 peoples annually. The objective of this review is to indicate the current situations of malaria on epidemiology, clinical presentations, diagnosis, treatment approach and control strategies, with enumerating the identified challenges. Literatures and available information written on the malaria epidemiology, clinical manifestation, diagnosis, treatment and control strategies were reviewed from different electronic archives of institutional websites and databases such as Scopus, HINARI, Pub Med, Scopus, Medline and Google scholar sources. Children less than five years of age living in Sub-Saharan Africa are mainly the affected groups. Although rapid diagnostic and molecular tests for malaria are increasing in prevalence and importance, the standard method for malaria diagnosis in much of the world remains microscopy. As recommended by the World Health Organization, the management of suspected malaria cases relies on early diagnosis and effective treatment based on artemisinin-combined therapy. Likewise, including Ethiopia, most Sub-Saharan African countries with Plasmodium falciparum malaria has adopted artemisinin-combined therapies as a first-line treatment; with Arthemeter Lumefantrine now the first line treatment for uncomplicated falciparum malaria in Ethiopia. In areas where chloroquine is still effective, P. vivax malaria should be treated with this drug. Where resistance to chloroquine has been documented, P. vivax malaria should be treated with an appropriate artemisinin-combined therapy. Most reviews and findings revealed that the control and elimination of malaria require expanded coverage of and access to effective malaria control interventions such as insecticide-treated nets, indoor residual spraying, intermittent preventive treatment, diagnostic testing and appropriate treatment. In malaria endemic areas, parasite resistance to most commonly used anti-malarial drugs, poor community participation, the absence of new technologies for effective control and eradication, difficulties on the diagnostic tools, insecticide resistance in the vector and changing of biting behavior of the vectors are involving problems to eradicate malaria. More operational researches and adapted evaluation methods are needed to better address challenges for malaria control and elimination. In addition, the global malaria community needs to work together, to ensure the early steps towards malaria eradication.

C−H Functionalized Molecules: Synthesis, Reaction Mechanism, and Biological Activity

“…About 4,20,000 deaths were reported due to malaria in 2015, particularly in African children. [85,86] Rapidly developing resistance and severe side effects of presently available drugs are the obstacles to the complete eradication of malaria. To overcome this problem combination therapy or drugs targeting multiple life stages of the parasite are widely used.…”

“…In 2016 WHO reported a considerable decrease in malarial cases and deaths due to malaria. About 4,20,000 deaths were reported due to malaria in 2015, particularly in African children [85,86] . Rapidly developing resistance and severe side effects of presently available drugs are the obstacles to the complete eradication of malaria.…”

Bottlenecks, concerns and needs in malaria operational research: the perspectives of key stakeholders in Nigeria

“…Globally, malaria has been reported as the most deadly and life-threatening parasitic disease [ 1 ]. In 2015, an estimated 212 million new cases of malaria and 429,000 deaths were recorded globally; African region accounted for about 90 and 92% of these respectively [ 2 ].…”