Assessing the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of Ultra-sensitive RDTs and SD Bioline RDTs in diagnosing asymptomatic parasitaemia in an endemic area in Ghana

Assessing the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of Ultra-sensitive RDTs and SD Bioline RDTs in diagnosing asymptomatic parasitaemia in an endemic area in Ghana

Project Lead(s)
DR. LINDA EVA AMOAH (SENIOR RESEARCH FELLOW)
Associate Professor
Project Background 

A recent study in Ghana has demonstrated that mass testing and treatment can contribute to the reduction of asymptomatic parasitaemia load as well as symptomatic malaria cases in endemic communities. Furthermore, it has been demonstrated that the use of ultra-sensitive RDTs could detect at least 10% more parasitaemia than the currently used conventional RDTs (SD Bioline), thus further reduce the reservoir of asymptomatic parasites. However, the effect of the ultra-sensitive RDTs on mass test, treat and track (MTTT) interventions has not been assessed in Ghana. Conducting mass testing and treatment with an ultra-sensitive RDT could contribute to malaria elimination, especially in endemic communities such as Ghana. This study sets out to compare the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of the ultra-sensitive HRP2 RDT kit (05FK140) relative to the SD Bioline malaria RDT (05FK50-40-0) in detecting asymptomatic malaria parasitaemia in an endemic area.  

Objectives/Research Areas 

Primary outcome 

  1. The difference in asymptomatic and symptomatic malaria in adults and children in the arm 1 (intervention arm) compared to arm 2 (control arm). 

Secondary outcomes 

  1. The difference in febrile illnesses (symptomatic malaria cases) in study participants in the intervention arm compared to the control arm 
  2. The difference in asymptomatic malaria parasitaemia prevalence in household members in the intervention arm compared to the control arm 
  3. The difference in symptomatic malaria cases attending health facilities from households in the intervention arm compared to the control arm 
  4. Differences in the cost effectiveness of the conventional and the ultra-sensitive RDT. 
Ongoing Activities  

Sample collection, laboratory evaluations and data entry are completed. Data analysis and manuscript preparation ongoing. 

Team 
Internal Collaborator(s) 
Prof. Collins Ahorlu, Department of Epidemiology
Dr. Ignatius Ndong, Department of Epidemiology
Dr. Susan Adu-Amankwa, Department of Epidemiology
Dr Benedicta Mensah, Department of Epidemiology
External Collaborator(s) 
National Malaria Control Program, Ghana
Funder(s) 
Abbott Diagnostics