Ebola Fears Undermined Malaria Control

Ebola Fears Undermined Malaria Control
Tens of thousands of malaria cases went untreated in Guinea last year, as Ebola fears kept people with away from clinics.

74,000 fewer people were diagnosed and offered treatment for malaria than would have been expected, infectious disease experts reported in the Lancet (http://www.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/article/PIIS1473-3099(15)00061-4/supplemental) . In some hard-hit areas, the numbers of people seeking treatment at outpatient clinics dropped by up to 42%, while people seeking care for suspected malaria fell by 69%, according to the systematic survey.

The study, led by Mateusz Plucinski, noted that the early symptoms of malaria can mimic Ebola, but untreated malaria cases ultimately increase the overburdened health system—pointing to the need to keep malaria control efforts on track during an Ebola epidemic.
The Guardian (http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/jun/24/thousands-of-guinea-malaria-cases-go-untreated-amid-ebola-fears)


Related: Ebola reappears in Sierra Leone's capital after several weeks without new cases – Deutsche Welle (http://www.dw.com/en/ebola-reappears-in-sierra-leones-capital-after-several-weeks-without-new-cases/a-18537448)