On November 5-9, PSI will join hundreds of tropical medicine and global health professionals in Baltimore, MD for the 66th American Society of Tropical Medicine & Hygiene (ASTMH) Annual Meeting. Through presentations, posters and symposia, PSI is collaborating with several partners to share learning and raise awareness on topics ranging from malaria elimination through private sector surveillance to using formative research to design malaria rapid diagnostic test interventions.
Attending the conference? Find details about PSI’s presence below. Can’t make the conference? Let us know which presentations you want to learn more about!
Check back as presentations are posted to our resources page.
Monday, November 6
Symposium: Accelerating Malaria Elimination Through Strengthened Private Sector Surveillance: Taking Forward Lessons Learned in Africa and the Greater Mekong Sub-Region
8:00 – 9:45 AM
Dr. Jamie Eliades of PSI and Rebecca Goldstein of the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) will be co-chairing a symposium to discuss the importance of the private sector in accelerating malaria elimination. The private sector is often the first point of care for patients seeking fever treatment in malaria endemic countries in Africa and elimination-targeted countries in the Greater Mekong Subregion, yet national systems fail to capture data from the sector to inform strategies for control and elimination. Without comprehensive and timely data on malaria caseloads from both public and private sectors, governments, NGOs and public healthcare providers waste time in achieving the ambitious and yet feasible goal of malaria elimination and save thousands of lives.
Speakers will include:
- Anton L. Avanceña, UCSF Global Health Group
- Dr. Sigsbert Mkude, Tanzania National Malaria Control Program
- Dr. Bouasy Hongvanhthong, Department of Communicable Disease Control/Malaria Center of the Ministry of Health in Lao PDR
- Rebecca Potter, Asia Regional Technical Team at PSI
Poster: Harnessing DHIS2 and mHealth Tools to Strengthen Private Sector Malaria Surveillance in the Greater Mekong Subregion
12:00 – 1:45 PM
Join PSI at our poster session to learn about the benefits of incorporating data management and monitoring tools like DHIS2 and mHealth into malaria surveillance. These tools enable users to monitor data on caseload, quality of care, and stock management at private providers, in a timely and easily accessible manner. PSI has learned several valuable lessons from using DHIS2 and mHealth, and results from these tools have provided actionable evidence for transforming surveillance into a core intervention in malaria programming.
Tuesday, November 7
Poster: Are Plantations a Hotspot of Malaria Transmission in Cambodia? An Ecological Study and Mathematical Model
12:00 – 1:45 PM
Malaria is a leading cause of morbidity in Cambodia, with an estimated 120,000 cases in 2015 according the WHO. Transmission is highest in rural areas where a large part of the population lives and works. Population Services Khmer (PSK) investigated the incidence of malaria at plantations in Cambodia, theorizing that the outdoor labor and proximity to forests may contribute to a high incidence of malaria. PSK developed a deterministic compartmental model to explore malaria transmission dynamics on the plantations. Come to PSK’s poster to learn more about their findings and the model they developed!
Poster: Streamlining operations and reducing costs in school ITN distribution in Tanzania: 2013-2017
12:00 – 1:45 PM
In 2011, the Ministry of Health and National Malaria Control Program of Tanzania developed a Keep Up Strategy with the goal of maintaining the population’s access to an ITN at or above 80%, by using school-based distribution. There have been three rounds of distribution with the third round supported by the VectorWorks project in Tanzania. Come to this poster presentation to hear about lessons learned in streamlining and cost reduction!
Scientific Session: Evidence of Changing Case Management Behaviours Following an Intervention to Introduce Malaria Rapid Diagnostic Tests to Private Pharmacies in Kinshasa
1:45 – 3:30 PM
Fever case management in Kinshasa centers on the private sector, where 70% of childhood fevers seek care. While diagnostic testing is available in clinics, RDT services have not historically been provided in private pharmacies or drug shops. A policy change in November 2015 permitted RDTs to be used in pharmacies with qualified pharmacists nationwide, expanding possible testing channels. PSI and Association de Santé Familiale (ASF) conducted a study to investigate the impact of an intervention to train and supervise pharmacists and provide free RDTs after the policy change. Results suggest a keen adoption of mRDTs by pharmacists. Join PSI and ASF at this oral presentation to learn more about how the study was conducted and implications of the results.
Wednesday, November 8
Poster: Availability of Treatments in Managing Diarrhea, Pneumonia in Children in Kenya
12:00 – 1:45 PM
The Kenyan policy on management of diarrhea in children under five (CU5) recommends the use of zinc and oral rehydration salts (ORS) for the treatment of diarrhea. The 2014 KDHS survey showed that only 8% of children with diarrhea were treated with both ORS and zinc with 66% of CU5 having acute respiratory infections. A follow up national outlet survey was carried out in June-August 2016 targeting the public and private sectors to determine the availability of commodities to treat CU5 illnesses. Come to Population Services Kenya’s poster presentation to learn about the findings.
View the presentation here.
Poster: Costs of continuous ITN distribution channels: a multi-country case series
12:00 PM to 1:45 PM
Sustained universal coverage with insecticide treated nets (ITNs) is essential to malaria control. While mass campaigns deliver nets in a single time-limited operation, continuous distribution systems (CD) use existing infrastructure to deliver nets continuously over time. However, little is known about the cost or cost-effectiveness of this approach relative to others. The cost of ITN distribution was estimated in four countries: Zanzibar, Ghana, Tanzania, and Mali. The study used the provider perspective and estimated both economic and financial costs. To learn about the results of this study come to the poster presentation with PSI Mali and partners!
View the presentation here.
Poster: The Kenyan Malaria Market after AMFm
12:00 PM – 1:45 PM
In Kenya, the Affordable Medicines Facility for malaria medicines (AMFm) pilot project was implemented in 2010-2013. The objective was to scale up quality assured ACTs (QAACT) by bringing down the price through factory gate subsidies, and flush out antimalarial monotherapies. Between 2010-2016, ACTwatch conducted four rounds of descriptive cross-sectional surveys on availability of QAACTs in public and private outlets, measuring the impact of AMFm. Come to Population Services Kenya’s poster presentation to hear about the results!
View the presentation here.
Poster: Sustaining High Net Ownership Through Continuous Community Distribution
12:00 PM to 1:45 PM
The main malaria vector control strategies in Kenya are Long Lasting Insecticidal Nets, Indoor Residual Spraying and Integrated Vector Management. LLINs are distributed through mass campaigns every three years, routinely through ANC/EPI clinics, social marketing and commercial. Sustaining this high net coverage attained after mass net campaigns is a challenge and hence, the continuous community net distribution was piloted. This poster presentation from Population Services Kenya explores the results from the pilot and implications for future programming.
View the presentation here.
Poster: Introducing Malaria Rapid Diagnostic Tests into Non-Formal Private Sector Outlets in Myanmar: Pre-Post Results from Cross Sectional Studies
12:00 – 1:45 PM
In Myanmar, 50% of fever patients seek treatment in the private sector, and for many rural patients, non-formal providers are often the only source of care. In 2014, only 10% of antimalarial-stocking non-formal outlets stocked rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs). PSI/Myanmar conducted a study on the impact of introducing RDTs to non-formal providers, investigating the use of RDTs and prescription practices before and after an intervention where providers were trained and given RDTs. In this poster session PSI/Mynamar will discuss the results from this study and the impact on future programming.
Poster: Who Is More Likely to Perform Malaria Rapid Diagnostic Tests in the Non-Formal Sector in Myanmar?
12:00 – 1:45 PM
PSI/Myanmar wanted to better understand how non-formal providers can contribute to the national goal of malaria intervention. We collected data on non-formal outlet characteristics and performed statistical analysis to determine which characteristics were associated with higher levels of RDT use. Unsurprisingly, providers in areas with high malaria endemicity were more likely to use RDTs. However, more supportive supervision visits also resulted in higher levels of RDT use. Join PSI/Myanmar at this poster session to explore the implications of these results and discuss the further exploration required.
Poster: It’s been used for a long time: Exploring Private Providers’ Preference for Continued Use of Oral Artemisinin-Based Monotherapy in Myanmar
12:00 – 1:45 PM
Use of artemisinin-based monotherapy contributes to the development and spread of artemisinin resistance, and their use was banned in Myanmar in 2011. So why do providers still prescribe them? PSI/Myanmar conducted a research study to answer this question. Using qualitative approaches, the researchers identified recurring reasons why providers continue to use monotherapies, some of which included: continued demand, a consumer perception of effectiveness, and higher profit margins. Come talk to PSI/Myanmar at this poster presentation to understand how these findings can be used to design better behavior change communication strategies in Myanmar.