ASTMH Symposium: Severe Malaria Improving the continuum of Care

Photo: MMV

Severe malaria is typically the result of a failure in the healthcare delivery and/or healthcare seeking behaviour for uncomplicated malaria. In 2019, an estimated 405,000 malaria related deaths occurred, mostly in children in sub-Saharan Africa. There is mounting evidence that a pre-referral intervention with artesunate rectal capsules, followed by appropriate severe malaria treatment with injectable artesunate at a referral health facility, and completed with a full ACT course, leads to better outcomes[1].

An increasing number of countries have updated their national guidelines for the treatment of severe malaria. Translating these guidelines into practice is proving challenging in remote settings.

This symposium provides an opportunity to learn from diverse country experiences where activities are being operationalized to improve prompt access to severe malaria case management in the continuum of care for severe malaria patients.