Cost and cost-effectiveness analysis of the available strategies for diagnosing malaria in outpatient clinics in Zambia

Includes bibliographical references (leaves 114-123).Malaria is a major public health problem in Zambia accounting for more than 3 million clinical cases and about 33,000 deaths annually. Artemether-Iumefantrine, (a relatively expensive drug) is being used for first line treatment of uncomplicated malaria. However, diagnostic capacity in Zambia is low, which has both economical, and health implications for the health system. The current alternatives for diagnosis of malaria are clinical, microscopy and rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs). This study consists of an economic evaluation of the alternative malaria diagnosis methods in outpatient facilities in Zambia. The study is expected to contribute to effective decision-making in Zambia, especially when considering scaling up malaria diagnosis in health facilities