Home management of malaria compared to the current standard of care for management of febrile illnesses in a cohort of Ugandan children ages 1 to <6 years

Abstract

Title: Home Management of Malaria Compared to the Current Standard of Care for Management of Febrile Illnesses in a Cohort of Ugandan Children

Background: Home management of malaria, promoting presumptive treatment of febrile children at or near home with antimalarial drugs, is advocated to improve prompt effective treatment of malaria in Africa. In Uganda, a policy of home-based management of fever (HBMF) has been adopted, but evidence of the effectiveness of the program is limited.

Objectives: In this study, home delivery of artemether-lumefantrine (AL) for presumptive treatment of fever in children aged less than six years was compared to the current standard of care for childhood fever in Kampala, Uganda. The impact on health indicators, treatment actions and outcomes, and predictors of illness and treatment practices were assessed.

Methodology: In this study, households were randomized to either HBMF or standard care, and children were followed prospectively; observa