Use of Malaria Rapid Diagnostic Tests
Misdiagnosis of malaria results in significant morbidity and mortality. Rapid, accurate, and accessible detection of malaria parasites has an important role in addressing this, and in promoting more rational use of increasingly costly drugs in many endemic areas. Rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) offer the potential to provide accurate diagnosis to all at-risk populations for the first time, reaching those unable to access good quality microscopy services.
The success of RDTs in malaria control will depend on good quality planning and implementation. This tool is designed to assist those involved in malaria management in this task. While this new diagnostic tool is finding its place in management of malaria, there is a window of opportunity in which good practices can be established by health services and become the norm.
- Tool Designer Organization:
- World Health Organization
- Download:
- Tool
in English, in French - Contact:
- See references in document
Summary of main features
- Purpose
- Explains use of RDTs
- Scope of interventions
- Malaria
- Limitations
- Does not address potential considerations for the start-up of RDT programmes
- Given evolving technologies, the tool is potentially sensitive to becoming outdated
- Output
- Provides good training support for RDT users and potential users
- Time frame
- Useful as an initiation tool and refresher on RDT use
- Potential users
- People involved in RDT implementation
- Skills required
- Reading with some technical knowledge of malaria
- Type of software
- Adobe PDF
- User manual available?
- NA
- Type and length of training required
- NA
- Available languages
- English and French
- Country applications
- All malaria endemic countries
- Last update and version
- 2nd edition dated 2006