Abstract

SURVEY OF FIRST LINE THERAPY FOR UNCOMPLICATED MALARIA IN COMPLIANCE WITH MALARIA POLICY CHANGE IN A FAITH BASED HOSPITAL IN LAGOS NIGERIA

Abstract

This paper describes the prescribing pattern for outpatients after the policy change in antimalarial treatment. Prescription event monitoring (PEM) methodology was utilized. All the new patients prescribed anti-malaria for uncomplicated malaria in a faith based hospital were recruited. Logistic regression and multivariate analysis was utilized to determine predictors of the recommended first line therapy using SPSS version 7.0 SPSS Inc Chicago Illinois. Frequency distribution of the 1102 patients enrolled over a period of 4 months January 2010 – April 2010 shows that 65% received the recommended first line therapy of artesunate - amodiaquine (As – Am) or arthemeter - lumefantrin (At – Lu). Using multivariate analysis parasitological diagnosis (odds ratio {OR} =3.4, 95% confidence interval {CI} 1.7- 6.3) and age group (OR= 2.0, 95% CI 1.1-37) were independent predictors of the use of Artemisinin based combination therapy (ACT) and were significantly associated with increased ACT use. The findings of this study show that a faith based hospital in Nigeria is compliant with the “WHO ANTI-MALARIA POLICY”. It highlights the importance of the role that confirmatory parasitological diagnosis plays in rational malaria therapy. The results show the importance of both age and diagnosis as predictor variables for the choice of first line treatments in line with the anti malaria policy in Nigeria.

Keywords: Uncomplicated Malaria, ACT, Compliance.