Skip to main content

Table 2 Priority research questions on malaria specific programme areas, in West Africa

From: Seeking research questions from implementers: considerations for leveraging ground actors research needs in the fight against malaria in West Africa

Rank

Research questions

Justifications

Gouvernance

 3

What is the most effective strategy (door-to-door, cluster sites…) for seasonal malaria chemo-prevention?

There is a need to find adequate strategies for a good implementation of SMC campaigns, taking into account local constraints

 5

What is the quality of malaria management at different levels of the health system?

The insufficient quality data on the management of malaria in health facilities and poor estimation of malaria cases, is often a challenge for decision making for planning and implantation

 14

What part NICT (new information and communication technology) has in the management of quality data?

Due to the low level of completeness, promptitude and archiving, there is need to look into the use of technology

 17

What system of collaboration should be put in place between Ministry of Health and other partners?

Insufficient coordination of activities have been recorded across the board

Human resources

 2

What is the contribution of Community Drug Distributors in the management of severe malaria cases in children under five years of age as part of pre-transfer treatment?

There is often inadequate treatment (pre-transfer treatment) of severe malaria before the transfer to better facility. This delays treatment on arrival and recovery

 16

Can CHWs contribute to improving the supervised administration of IPT-2 and IPT-3?

There is a need to know how programmes can improve the low coverage of IPT-2 and IPT-3

Drug/malaria medicines

 4

How effective and tolerable is ACT (artemisinin-based combination therapy) under actual conditions of use?

More data are needed on the efficacy and tolerability of ACT under actual conditions of use

 6

What are the adverse effects of anti-malarial drugs (artemisinin-based combination, SP-AQ)

More data are needed on the pharmacovigilance of anti-malarial drugs in mass drug distribution: toxicological effects especially hepatic

 13

How effective are the medicines used in traditional medicine in the of malaria case management at the community level?

The high use of traditional medicine by the population and the low collaboration between traditional and modern medicine should be explored

 21

What is the comparative advantage of the dihydroartemisinin (DHA)-piperazine combination over SP-AQ?

Due to its side effects and limitations, programmes should look also for an alternative to SP-AQ as part of the SMC

Service

 11

What is the quality of the supply/commodities?

There are counterfeit medicines in circulation, leading to treatment failure and difficult diagnosis

 10

What is the performance of input supply chain systems?

Commodities stock-outs, insufficient rational management of medicines, are often recorded

Prevention

 7

How effective are insecticides in long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs) in vector control?

After few years of use, there is a lack of updated efficacy data on insecticides used in LLINs

 9

What are the factors for non-use of LLINs in vector control?

Managers and health workers have noticed a low level of public support for the use of LLINs

18

What is the level of use and effectiveness of indoor residual spraying for malaria prevention at the community level?

There are insufficient data on its IRS efficiency

 19

How effective is the mosquito repellent soap developed in Burkina Faso as part of a multicenter study?

Research should contribute to find new alternative means of prevention to LLINs

 20

What is the feasibility and effectiveness of impregnating nets with two insecticides?

With few years of the current tools, there is a need to develop of new means or tool of vector control in order to limit the spread of resistance of malaria vectors

Monitoring and evaluation

 1

What are the factors that influence adherence to day 2 and day 3 doses during SMC?

The effectiveness of the ongoing strategy is not fully documented leading to insufficient data and monitoring of compliance with 2nd and 3rd doses in the community

 12

What is the diagnostic performance of RDTs at the facility level?

Little is known about the performance of real-world/real-time RDTs (rapid diagnostic test)

 15

What is the level of morbidity and mortality attributable to malaria?

There is a need to evaluate the impact of control programmes

Populations adherence/buy-in

 8

What are the communication channels, supports and strategies that induce the most behavior change?

Behavioral change at community and individual level has been slow