For some time now I have been closely working with some of the malaria initiatives, and recently WHO-RBM released both the Global Malaria Report 2008 and their Global Malaria Action Plan (GMAP).
Both reports are extremely weak ... but rather than stand on the sidelines and be critical, we are committing to rework the Global Malaria Action Plan (GMAP) to reflect what we consider to be best practice. From out perspective, WHO has excluded many approaches and then gone on to project extremely high cost and rather poor progress from now until 2015. We think this should be changed.
A component of our "best practice" approach is the strengthening of the health infrastructure so that there is easier access to basic health care ... upgrading of the primary health care that is accessible to everyone is very valuable ... and the question is how to do this at the least possible cost without impacting the health outcomes.
In the case of the malaria GMAP reworking ... what is the best way to screen for malaria parasite? While the "easy" way maybe rapid diagnosis kits ... is this the best practice and the one that gives the best result for the least cost? What might be a better way to do the screening? If microscopy is involved for malaria ... how much else can it be used for that would be useful.
I am grateful for any help and guidance anyone will give me at the address above.
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Peter Burgess
mailto:peterbnyc@gmail.com