Home-based malaria management in children by women: Evidence from a malaria endemic community in sub-Saharan Africa

The Plasmodium falciparum (P. falciparum) (i.e. a protozoan parasite) has been the main cause of malaria which has led to the deaths of many children in sub-Saharan Africa[1,2]. Malaria leads to various abnormalities in children such as renal failure, anaemia and hepatic dysfunction[3,4]. Although several initiatives such as roll back malaria have been introduced by international organizations and malaria endemic nations to control malaria, it still remains a public health problem[5,6]. The roll back malaria initiative has focused on the introduction of artemisinin (i.e. groups of medicines possess the most rapid action against P. falciparum) based combination therapy with home treatment[7]. It is aimed at creating awareness on most available potent anti-malaria medicines and appropriate dosages to people[8]. Medicines for the treatment and prevention of malaria (anti-malarial medicines) can be classified into: quinine and compounds related to it, halofantrine, anti-folate compounds, aminoquinoline, antibiotics and pyronaridine. The derivative of quinine such as chloroquine has been mostly used for treatment of malaria, however it is becoming less popular because P. falciparum tends to develop resistance to it[9,10]. Quinine is one of the important anti-malarial medicines but its side effects such as cinchonism lead to blur vision and impair hearing and its bitter taste restricts it use[11]. However, quinine and its isomer such as quinidine ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT