A Day with Gold Miners in the Amazon Fighting against Malaria
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“Passing the plunging roots of a mangrove tree, the pirogue glides slowly over the calm water of the river before coming to a halt on…
From Malakit to Curema!
Curema is a research study which aims to assess an innovative intervention targeting malaria elimination among the people involved in the artisanal and small scale gold mining working and moving across the Guiana Shield. This community represents indeed one of the main hotspots of malaria circulation in the region and, largerly, in the Amazon.
This project combines free distribution of malaria self-diagnosis and self-treatment kits (‘malakits’) in smart packaging with a radical cure of P. vivax hypnozoites for potential asymptomatic carriers after testing for contraindications.
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The kit
The kit is a lightweight, waterproof, easy to transport, transparent plastic pouch.
This smart packaging is split into two pockets: one contains three malaria rapid diagnostic tests, the other a full course of the antimalarial artemether 20 mg/lumefantrine 120 mg combination (Coartem®), a 15-mg single dose of primaquine, and paracetamol. Illustrated instructions in Portuguese are printed directly on the plastic packaging.
Radical treatment for P. Vivax
People who are likely to be carriers of latent forms (hypnozoites) of Plasmodium Vivax are treated with primaquine or tafenoquine after screening for contraindications. This will prevent relapses and reduce transmission.
