Despite dramatic progress against it, malaria still kills nearly half a million people a year, over 90 percent of them children in subSaharan Africa. Almost all those deaths are preventable. A study published today by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine found that rapid-testing to distinguish malaria from other fever-producing illnesses is essential for effective treatment but is only one step. Malaria experts say the use of rapid testing is a major asset in the tool kit of malaria fighters. Further research and improvements in after-test treatment are required, because transitions to use of new medical technologies typically raise new questions, whose answers lead to additional advances.
The Express News
