Le Plan Stratégique National de Lutte contre le Paludisme au Cameroun 2019–2023 vise à réduire l’incidence et la mortalité liées au paludisme dans tout le pays, en mettant l’accent sur les groupes les plus vulnérables comme les enfants de moins de 5 ans et les femmes enceintes. Il repose... sur des interventions de prévention (moustiquaires imprégnées, pulvérisation intradomiciliaire, chimioprévention saisonnière), un accès universel au diagnostic rapide et au traitement efficace, ainsi qu’un renforcement de la gouvernance, du système de santé, de la surveillance épidémiologique et de la communication pour le changement de comportement. Le plan s’inscrit dans la continuité des stratégies nationales et internationales, avec une approche participative impliquant les autorités nationales, les partenaires techniques et financiers, les communautés locales et le secteur privé.
more
This guide helps pharmacists to understand their role in the hypertension program. From maintaining hypertensive drug stock, to drug dispensing, to recording and reporting, to awareness generation with patients.
Shown in blue is the estimated annual number of deaths attributed to drug use. Shown in red is theestimated annual number of deaths from drug use disorders. The difference between them is that theyrelate to indirect and direct causes of death, respectively.
Introduction Pharmacovigilance (PV) systems to monitor drug and vaccine safety are often inadequate in sub-Saharan
Africa. In Malawi, a PV enhancement initiative was introduced to address major barriers to PV.
Objective The objective of this initiative was to improve reporting of adverse events (A...Es) by strengthening passive safety
surveillance via PV training and mentoring of local PV stakeholders and healthcare providers (HCPs) at their own healthcare
facilities (HCFs).
Methods An 18-month PV training and mentoring programme was implemented in collaboration with national stakeholders,
and in partnership with the Ministry of Health, GSK and PATH. Two-day training was provided to Expanded Programme on
Immunisation coordinators, identified as responsible for AE reporting, and four National Regulatory Authority representa-
tives. Abridged PV training and mentoring were provided regularly to HCPs. Support was given in upgrading the national
PV system. Key performance indicators included the number of AEs reported, transmission of AE forms, completeness of
reports, serious AEs reported and timeliness of recording into VigiFlow.
Results In 18 months, 443 HCPs at 61 HCFs were trained. The number of reported AEs increased from 22 (January 2000 to
October 2016) to 228 (November 2016 to May 2018), enabling Malawi to become a member of the World Health Organization
Programme for International Drug Monitoring. Most (98%) AE report forms contained mandatory information on reporter,
event, patient and product, but under 1% were transmitted to the national PV office within 48 h.
Conclusion Regular PV training and mentoring of HCPs were effective in enhancing passive safety surveillance in Malawi,
but the transmission of reports to the national PV centre requires further improvement.
more
Estimated annual number of deaths from drug use disorders, by type of drug.
Background
The core clinical symptoms of addiction include an enhanced incentive for drug taking (craving), impaired self-control (impulsivity and compulsivity), emotional dysregulation (negative mood) and increased stress reactivity. Symptoms related to impaired self-control involve reduced activi...ty in anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), adjacent prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and other brain areas. Behavioral training such as mindfulness meditation can increase the function of control networks including those leading to improved emotion regulation and thus may be a promising approach for the treatment of addiction.
Methods
In a series of randomized controlled trials (RCTs), we tested whether increased ACC/mPFC activity is related to better self-control abilities in executive functions, emotion regulation and stress response in healthy and addicted populations. After a brief mindfulness training (Integrative Body-Mind Training, IBMT), we used the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) and Profile of Mood States (POMS) to measure emotion regulation, salivary cortisol for the stress response and fMRI for brain functional and DTI structural changes. Relaxation training was used to serve as an active control.
Results
In both smokers and nonsmokers, improved self-control abilities in emotion regulation and stress reduction were found after training and these changes were related to increased ACC/mPFC activity following training. Compared with nonsmokers, smokers showed reduced ACC/mPFC activity in the self-control network before training, and these deficits were ameliorated after training.
Conclusions
These results indicate that promoting emotion regulation and improving ACC/mPFC brain activity can help for addiction prevention and treatment.
more
Estimated annual number of deaths from drug use disorders per 100,000 people.
Trop. Med. Infect. Dis. 2022, 7, 152. https://doi.org/10.3390/tropicalmed7080152
Infection and Drug Resistance 2020:13 4047–4060
WHO recommends artemisinin-based combination therapies for treating uncomplicated malaria, alongside studies to monitor treatment effectiveness. Given the threat of antimalarial resistance, including partial resistance in several African countries, molecular tools are vital for tracking resistance. ...In 2015, WHO launched the External Quality Assessment scheme for nucleic acid amplification testing to ensure reliable lab results. Coordinated by WHO and operated by the United Kingdom National External Quality Assessment Service for Parasitology, the scheme provides quality-controlled specimens and reports to help improve testing accuracy. Experts recently discussed expanding the scheme to include antimalarial resistance markers.
more
Meeting report, Kampala, Uganda,
7–8 November 2023
Launch of the WHO Report on antimalarial drug efficacy, resistance and response: 10 years of surveillance (2010–2019). Key findings
The Severe Malaria Observatory (SMO) is a global knowledge platform designed to enable professionals working on severe malaria, such as researchers, clinicians, public health experts, programme managers, policymakers and technical partners, to access, share and analyse reliable data on malaria compl...ications.
more
The ACT Consortium was an international research collaboration dedicated to evaluating the effectiveness, safety and implementation of artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) for treating malaria. Operating across multiple countries in Africa and Asia, the consortium conducted over 25 studies... focused on improving malaria case management, drug delivery, diagnostic practices and patient outcomes. Emphasising interdisciplinary research, the consortium generated robust evidence to inform national malaria control policies and global health strategies. This website serves as a comprehensive archive of the consortium's work, providing researchers, policymakers, and programme implementers in global health and infectious disease control with access to protocols, guidance documents, data tools, and peer-reviewed publications.
Accessed on 15/0//2025.
more
Guidelines on lenacapavir for HIV prevention and testing strategies for long-acting injectable pre-exposure prophylaxis. Web Annex F
Antimalarial chemotherapy is crucial for reducing morbidity, mortality, and drug resistance, and is the cornerstone of malaria control. Existing antimalarial drugs act at different stages of the parasite’s life cycle. These drugs range from classic agents such as chloroquine and quinine to newer a...rtemisinin derivatives. They include tissue schizonticides, blood schizonticides, gametocytocides, and sporontocides. Artemisinin and its derivatives are the most effective and fastest-acting treatment against drug-resistant Plasmodium falciparum, achieving rapid parasite clearance and reducing transmission potential. Other key drugs include mefloquine, halofantrine, proguanil, sulfadoxine–pyrimethamine, atovaquone–proguanil, tetracyclines, clindamycin and azithromycin. Each of these drugs has a specific mechanism of action, pharmacokinetics, efficacy, safety profile and contraindications. Rational drug combinations and adherence to national treatment guidelines are essential for managing resistance, ensuring safety in vulnerable populations such as children and pregnant women, and optimising therapeutic outcomes in cases of both uncomplicated and severe malaria.
more
Combination therapy is a cornerstone of modern malaria treatment, particularly in the context of widespread multidrug resistance. Using two or more antimalarial drugs with different mechanisms simultaneously enhances efficacy, shortens treatment duration, improves compliance and delays the developme...nt of resistance. Artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs), such as artemether–lumefantrine, artesunate–amodiaquine and artesunate–sulfadoxine/pyrimethamine, are highly effective in rapidly clearing parasites and reducing gametocyte carriage. They are also generally well tolerated. Non-artemisinin combinations, quinine-based regimens and novel combinations (e.g. piperaquine–dihydroartemisinin) offer alternative therapeutic options, although clinical experience with these remains limited. Although ACTs are the preferred first-line treatment, factors such as cost, local drug resistance patterns, safety during pregnancy and paediatric use must inform implementation and policy decisions.
more
To mark the International Day of the African Child, Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV) celebrated the inclusion of three of its antimalarial medicines on the WHO Model List of Essential Medicines (EML) and the EML for Children (EMLc). These are two artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) for... adults, children and infants, and a rectal artesunate formulation for the pre-referral treatment of severe malaria in young children. The approved therapies — pyronaridine–artesunate, dihydroartemisinin–piperaquine and rectal artesunate — offer child-friendly formulations and are the first-line treatment for uncomplicated malaria caused by Plasmodium falciparum and P. vivax. Inclusion in the EMLc facilitates national adoption, improves access to high-quality treatments and addresses the disproportionate malaria burden among children under five. This supports global efforts to reduce malaria mortality and advance elimination.
more
The pamphlet "What is Addiction" explains addiction as a chronic, relapsing brain disease characterized by compulsive drug seeking and use, despite harmful consequences. It highlights the dangers of different drug categories, including sedatives, stimulants, and hallucinogens, and their potential he...alth and behavioral impacts. The document emphasizes the importance of combined medication and behavioral therapy in the treatment process, including detoxification, ongoing therapy, and relapse prevention. Additionally, it provides contact information for addiction treatment resources.
more