| dc.contributor |
Medecins sans Frontieres, Colombo, Sri Lanka. |
|
| dc.creator |
Reilley, B |
|
| dc.creator |
Abeyasinghe, R |
|
| dc.creator |
Pakianathar, M V |
|
| dc.date |
2002-09 |
|
| dc.date.accessioned |
2017-01-31T07:09:08Z |
|
| dc.date.available |
2017-01-31T07:09:08Z |
|
| dc.identifier |
Barriers to prompt and effective treatment of malaria in northern Sri Lanka. 2002, 7 (9):744-9 Trop. Med. Int. Health |
|
| dc.identifier |
1360-2276 |
|
| dc.identifier |
12225504 |
|
| dc.identifier |
http://hdl.handle.net/10144/16899 |
|
| dc.identifier |
http://fieldresearch.msf.org/msf/handle/10144/16899 |
|
| dc.identifier |
Tropical Medicine & International Health |
|
| dc.identifier.uri |
http://dspace.mediu.edu.my:8181/xmlui/handle/10144/16899 |
|
| dc.description |
BACKGROUND: For the past 18 years, northern Sri Lanka has been affected by armed ethnic conflict. This has had a heavy impact on displacement of civilians, health delivery services, number of health professionals in the area and infrastructure. The north of Sri Lanka has a severe malaria burden, with less than 5% of the national population suffering 34% of reported cases. Health care providers investigated treatment-seeking behaviour and levels of treatment failure believed to be the result of lack of adherence to treatment. METHODS: Pre- and post-treatment interviews with patients seeking treatment in the outpatient department (OPD) and focus groups. RESULTS: A total of 271 persons completed interviews: 54.4% sought treatment within 2 days of the onset of symptoms, and 91.9% self-treated with drugs with prior to seeking treatment, mainly with paracetamol. Self-treatment was associated with delaying treatment (RR 3.55, CI 1.23-10.24, P=0.002). In post-treatment interviews, self-reported default was 26.1%. The main reasons for not taking the entire regimen were side-effects (57.6%) and disappearance of symptoms (16.7%). Focus groups indicated some lack of confidence in chloroquine treatment and prophylaxis, and scant enthusiasm for prevention methods. CONCLUSIONS: A number of factors contribute to a lack of access and a lower quality of care for malaria: lack of medical staff and facilities because of the fighting; lack of confidence in treatment, and perception of malaria as a routine illness. Prevention efforts need to take into account certain beliefs and practices to be successful. |
|
| dc.language |
en |
|
| dc.publisher |
Wiley-Blackwell |
|
| dc.relation |
http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/loi/tmi |
|
| dc.rights |
Archived on this site with the kind permission of Wiley-Blackwell |
|
| dc.title |
Barriers to prompt and effective treatment of malaria in northern Sri Lanka. |
|