Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36927440›Full record

Observational studyMalaria journal2023

Effectiveness of community case management of malaria on severe malaria and inpatient malaria deaths in Zambia: a dose-response study using routine health information system data.

Ruth A Ashton, Busiku Hamainza, Chris Lungu, Marie-Reine I Rutagwera, Travis Porter, Adam Bennett, Michael Hainsworth, Sarah Burnett, Kafula Silumbe, Hannah Slater and 2 more

Open access · goldFull text readObservational Study
In one paragraph

Observational study in Malaria journal, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
10citing papers in PubMed
7.0field-weighted citation impact, top 3% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

10 citing papers in PubMed, 22 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Trial
  2. Trial
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Review
  7. Article
  8. CCM and RTAT Malaria Interventions.The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene · 2025
    Article
  9. Article
  10. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors at 4 institutions in 2 countries.

Ruth A AshtonCenter for Applied Malaria Research and Evaluation, Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, 1440 Canal Street, Suite 2300, New Orleans, LA, USA. rashton@tulane.edu.
Busiku HamainzaNational Malaria Elimination Centre, Zambia Ministry of Health, Lusaka, Zambia.
Chris LunguPATH Malaria Control and Elimination Partnership in Africa (MACEPA), Lusaka, Zambia.
Marie-Reine I RutagweraPATH Malaria Control and Elimination Partnership in Africa (MACEPA), Lusaka, Zambia.
Travis PorterCenter for Applied Malaria Research and Evaluation, Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, 1440 Canal Street, Suite 2300, New Orleans, LA, USA.
Adam BennettPATH MACEPA, Seattle, WA, USA.
Michael HainsworthPATH MACEPA, Seattle, WA, USA.
Sarah BurnettPATH MACEPA, Seattle, WA, USA.
Kafula SilumbePATH Malaria Control and Elimination Partnership in Africa (MACEPA), Lusaka, Zambia.
Hannah SlaterPATH MACEPA, Seattle, WA, USA.
Thomas P EiseleCenter for Applied Malaria Research and Evaluation, Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, 1440 Canal Street, Suite 2300, New Orleans, LA, USA.
John M MillerPATH Malaria Control and Elimination Partnership in Africa (MACEPA), Lusaka, Zambia.
National HIV/AIDS/STI/TB Council · ZMProgram for Appropriate Technology in Health · USTulane University · USMinistry of Health · ZM

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundCommunity case management of malaria (CCM) has been expanded in many settings, but there are limited data describing the impact of these services in routine implementation settings or at large scale. Zambia has intensively expanded CCM since 2013, whereby trained volunteer community health workers (CHW) use rapid diagnostic tests and artemether-lumefantrine to diagnose and treat uncomplicated malaria.

methodsThis retrospective, observational study explored associations between changing malaria service point (health facility or CHW) density per 1000 people and severe malaria admissions or malaria inpatient deaths by district and month in a dose-response approach, using existing routine and programmatic data. Negative binomial generalized linear mixed-effect models were used to assess the impact of increasing one additional malaria service point per 1000 population, and of achieving Zambia's interim target of 1 service point per 750 population. Access to insecticide-treated nets, indoor-residual spraying, and rainfall anomaly were included in models to reduce potential confounding.

resultsThe study captured 310,855 malaria admissions and 7158 inpatient malaria deaths over 83 districts (seven provinces) from January 2015 to May 2020. Total CHWs increased from 43 to 4503 during the study period, while health facilities increased from 1263 to 1765. After accounting for covariates, an increase of one malaria service point per 1000 was associated with a 19% reduction in severe malaria admissions among children under five (incidence rate ratio [IRR] 0.81, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.75-0.87, p < 0.001) and 23% reduction in malaria deaths among under-fives (IRR 0.77, 95% CI 0.66-0.91). After categorizing the exposure of population per malaria service point, there was evidence for an effect on malaria admissions and inpatient malaria deaths among children under five only when reaching the target of one malaria service point per 750 population.

conclusionsCCM is an effective strategy for preventing severe malaria and deaths in areas such as Zambia where malaria diagnosis and treatment access remains challenging. These results support the continued investment in CCM scale-up in similar settings, to improve access to malaria diagnosis and treatment.

Indexed as

AntimalarialsHealth Information SystemsMalariaArtemetherArtemether, Lumefantrine Drug CombinationCase ManagementChildCommunity Health WorkersHumansInpatientsRetrospective StudiesZambiaAntimalarialsArtemetherArtemether, Lumefantrine Drug CombinationCommunity case managementCommunity health workersImpact evaluationRoutine health information systemSevere malariaZambia

Identifiers

PMID36927440
PMCPMC10022244
OpenAlexW4327686641

What OpenQuestion holds

Textfull text, public
LicenceCC BY
reference markers read10
measurements read105
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.