Saltar la navegación
Revolutionary Malaria Tests Have Unexpected Downsides
Article

Revolutionary Malaria Tests Have Unexpected Downsides

Despite rapid tests, health workers undertreat malaria – and overuse antibiotics – a big new study shows

Science, 2017

audio autogenerado
audio autogenerado

Editorial Rating

8

Qualities

  • Scientific
  • Overview
  • Concrete Examples

Recommendation

With the availability of a simple test to detect malaria and a therapy to treat it effectively, the disease should no longer be a major public health issue. In fact, rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) and artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) have revolutionized malaria treatment in poor areas of Africa and South Asia. However, a meta-study reveals undesirable effects that accompany the benefits. Leslie Roberts, a deputy news editor at Science Magazine, discusses the underlying issues, points out the needs, and cites medical experts. getAbstract recommends this article to anyone interested in public health issues.

Take-Aways

  • Rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) reliably detect malaria parasites in a drop of blood.
  • Artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) are effective in treating malaria. However, overuse could render them ineffective due to drug resistance.
  • In poor areas in Africa and South Asia, the use of RDTs reduced ACT prescriptions as intended. Surprisingly, the number of antibiotic prescriptions increased.

About the Author

Leslie Roberts is a deputy news editor at Science Magazine where she supervises the biology writing team. Her recent articles focus on infectious diseases in poor countries.


Comment on this summary or Comenzar discusión

More on this topic

Related Channels