• Assessment of home-based management of fever (HBMF).  This project evaluated the program of HBMF, which was recently launched in Uganda.  In the study, Coartem, the recommended treatment for uncomplicated malaria in Uganda, was evaluated in a cohort of children from Mulago III parish in Kampala.

 

• Assessment of antimalarial treatment efficacy and safety at UMSP sentinel sites.  These studies allow on-going monitoring and surveillance of antimalarial resistance and drug safety in diverse regions of Uganda.

 

• Utility of rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) for malaria.  This study compared the diagnostic accuracy of RDTs with that of microscopy for patients in Kampala and UMSP sentinel sites.  RDT’s provide a practical and cost-effective alternative to empiric treatment or microscopy where health-care resources are scarce.

 

• Pharmacovigilance of antimalarial treatment. UMSP developed and implemented a pilot system for monitoring the safety of antimalarial drugs at the health facility and community level in two UMSP sentinel sites in Jinja and Tororo.

 

• Laboratory studies of host genetic polymorphisms.  These studies identified associations between human genetic mutations and susceptibility to malaria infection and response to antimalarial treatment.

 

• Training in facility-based management and diagnosis of malaria. Through the JUMP program, an exemplary malaria training programme that is based on a team approach to strengthen malaria management at health facility level was established. This was coupled with the development of a monitoring and evaluation system that demonstrated the impact of training and capacity building on improved case management for malaria at health facility level.

 

• Collection of malaria surveillance data from patients presenting to sentinel sites. It was initiated in June 2006 by UMSP and MOH to provide accurate malaria surveillance data for quick response systems, to support ongoing malaria control activities and strengthen HMIS at sentinel sites