Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41162354›Full record

ArticleNature communications2025

Estimating rates of treatment delay for malaria fevers among children in Sub-Saharan Africa 2006-2022.

Jailos Lubinda, Susan F Rumisha, Paulina Dzianach, Michael McPhail, Adam Saddler, Annie Browne, Francesca Sanna, Yalemzewod Gelaw, Paul Castle, Juniper B Kiss and 8 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Nature communications, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
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

5 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. 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

18 authors.

Jailos Lubinda *The Kids Research Institute Australia, Perth Children's Hospital, Nedlands, WA, Australia. Jailos.Lubinda@thekids.org.au.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9570-9036
Susan F Rumisha *The Kids Research Institute Australia, Perth Children's Hospital, Nedlands, WA, Australia.
Paulina DzianachThe Kids Research Institute Australia, Perth Children's Hospital, Nedlands, WA, Australia.
Michael McPhailThe Kids Research Institute Australia, Perth Children's Hospital, Nedlands, WA, Australia.
Adam SaddlerThe Kids Research Institute Australia, Perth Children's Hospital, Nedlands, WA, Australia.
Annie BrowneThe Kids Research Institute Australia, Perth Children's Hospital, Nedlands, WA, Australia.
Francesca SannaThe Kids Research Institute Australia, Perth Children's Hospital, Nedlands, WA, Australia.
Yalemzewod GelawThe Kids Research Institute Australia, Perth Children's Hospital, Nedlands, WA, Australia.
Paul CastleThe Kids Research Institute Australia, Perth Children's Hospital, Nedlands, WA, Australia.
Juniper B KissThe Kids Research Institute Australia, Perth Children's Hospital, Nedlands, WA, Australia.
Joseph HarrisThe Kids Research Institute Australia, Perth Children's Hospital, Nedlands, WA, Australia.
Jennifer A RozierThe Kids Research Institute Australia, Perth Children's Hospital, Nedlands, WA, Australia.
Camilo VargasThe Kids Research Institute Australia, Perth Children's Hospital, Nedlands, WA, Australia.
Punam AmratiaThe Kids Research Institute Australia, Perth Children's Hospital, Nedlands, WA, Australia.
Tasmin L SymonsThe Kids Research Institute Australia, Perth Children's Hospital, Nedlands, WA, Australia.
Ewan CameronThe Kids Research Institute Australia, Perth Children's Hospital, Nedlands, WA, Australia.
Peter W GethingThe Kids Research Institute Australia, Perth Children's Hospital, Nedlands, WA, Australia.
Daniel J WeissThe Kids Research Institute Australia, Perth Children's Hospital, Nedlands, WA, Australia.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Late diagnosis and treatment of malaria increase the odds of severe disease by nearly 2.8 times, enhance transmission rates, compromise drug effectiveness, and trigger malaria outbreaks. No continent-wide estimates for malaria treatment delay exist. We estimate delay rates among African children treated for malaria between 2006 and 2022, using 177 nationally representative surveys. We found that 60% [95% UI 45.7-72.8] of treated children experienced >24 h of delay, while 29% [95% UI 18.9-41.2] faced delays exceeding 48 h, affecting 33 million and 16 million children, respectively. Spatiotemporal variability exists across Africa. Somalia has the highest (76% [95% UI 39.7-97.9]) and Tanzania has the lowest (35.3% [95% UI 11.5-53.8]) delay rates. Overall, initial improvements in treatment delay stagnated post-2015, but East Africa showed the most progress, while Central and West Africa experienced increases. Socioeconomic factors and residence influenced delays, with poorer and rural populations facing higher rates. These findings are vital for policymakers to enhance malaria case management, access to effective treatment, and reduce malaria mortality among children.

Indexed as

AntimalarialsFeverMalariaTime-to-TreatmentAdolescentAfrica South of the SaharaChildChild, PreschoolDelayed DiagnosisFemaleHumansInfantMaleSocioeconomic FactorsTreatment DelayAntimalarials

Identifiers

PMID41162354
PMCPMC12572339

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
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.