Malaria transmission in Sierra Leone, with a population of 6.3 million [1], is intense with little seasonal fluctuations. Recent surveys have documented high parasite prevalence (43 % in children under five) [2] and high under-five child mortality (156 per 1000 live birth) [3]. In 2013, prior to the Ebola viral disease (EVD) outbreak, the country scaled-up anti-malarial interventions and, as a result, 62 % of households owned at least one long-lasting insecticidal net (LLIN) and 39 % of the population slept under an LLIN the night before the survey; 37 % of children with fever took artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) [2]; and >85 % of the suspected cases in the public sector were parasitologically tested [4]. In June 2014, over 3.5 million LLINs were distributed targeting the entire population. In 2014, Sierra Leone became the worst affected country by the Ebola outbreak, with >8704 confirmed cases; and >3589 deaths as of 3rd November 2015 when WHO certified the country Ebola-free [5].
At the same time malaria burden exerted a heavy toll to the health care system, which was compromised by the EVD epidemic due to high mortality to frontline health workers and closure of many facilities both in the public and private sectors. Fear of being referred to Ebola holding centres and of contracting EVD nosocomial infections significantly reduced patient attendance to health facilities by up to 40 % from May to September 2014, but the attendance returned to normal (only 7 % less) by December 2014 [6]. The similarities of the initial clinical presentations of EVD with that of malaria, i.e., fever, anorexia, fatigue, headache and joint pains posed a problem of differential diagnosis for both patients and health care workers. As a result, patients with symptoms of malaria had been shunning away from seeking care for fear of being suspected as EVD and referred to Ebola holding centres—leading to increased malaria morbidity and mortality for lack of prompt diagnosis and effective treatment. Recent estimates showed that absence of regular access to health care services during the Ebola epidemic, may have led to an increase of untreated malaria cases by 88 % (95 % CI 83–93) or 207 per 1000 population in Sierra Leone, equivalent to 1.3 million (0.9–1.9 million) untreated cases [7]. A similar estimate in Guinea showed increase in the number of malaria cases as a result of changes in health-seeking behaviour caused by the Ebola epidemic [8].
In response to the Ebola outbreak and its impact on the malaria burden, WHO issued an interim recommendation for malaria prevention and control in EVD disease-affected zones in November 2014. WHO recommended changes in testing practices promoting use of personal protective equipment in health facilities and “no touch” approach at community level, new approaches for LLINs distribution to avoid exposure to EVD due to overcrowding and MDA using ACT in areas heavily affected by Ebola, where malaria transmission is high and access to treatment is very low [9]. As an emergency response, the MoHS instructed MDA and presumptive treatment of all Ebola suspected cases in the Holding centres with ASAQ (Coarsucam™) without parasitological testing (Additional file 1). The objectives of the MDA were to rapidly reduce (i) malaria burden and (ii) the number of febrile cases which could be considered as suspected EVD cases and referred to Ebola Holding Centres, increasing the risk of nosocomial infection. The MDA did not aim for a long-term reduction of malaria transmission in the areas.
The NMCP of the Ministry of Health and Sanitation (MoHS), in collaboration with Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) Spain, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), The Global Fund to Fight HIV/AIDs, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM) and WHO led a large scale of MDA using ASAQ-the first-line antimalarial medicine in the country.
The MDA involved micro-planning at district level with participation of local authorities (paramount chiefs, councillors, primary health unit in-chiefs, regional and national supervisors); and major partners including MSF-Spain, UNICEF and WHO. Quantification of ASAQ needs was conducted based on the house-to-house population registration previously conducted for the LLIN mass campaign in 2014 using four age categories (2 % for 6–11 months; 13.7 % for 12–59 months; 28 % for 5–13 years; 54.3 % for 14 years and above). The two rounds of MDA targeted to cover at least 85 % of the three million people living in Ebola affected districts (with at least 85 % adherence to treatment) and were implemented at 5 weeks interval during, 5–8 December 2014 and 16–19 January 2015.
Funding for the procurement of six million ASAQ doses and operational costs was provided by partners. Quality control analysis of ASAQ samples was undertaken by the Pharmacy Board of Sierra Leone.
Administration of ASAQ was carried out in four regimens, door-to-door, with directly-observed treatment (DOT) for the first dose with counselling to complete the full 3-day treatment courses without supervision. The MDA campaign excluded: (1) children below 6 months, (2) malnourished children, (3) pregnant women in their first trimester; persons with fever or feeling unwell, (4) persons who received ASAQ within the last month, and (5) patients taking Zidovudine, Efavirenz or co-trimoxazole. Family members in quarantined households (with confirmed or suspected Ebola cases) were not visited by the MDA campaign but were counted and provided with ASAQ by the Ebola surveillance teams with personal protective equipment (PPE) following the standard safety procedures.
A total of 8330 health staff and community health workers (CHWs) were trained and deployed for the campaign, of which 5000 CHWs were in the capital, Western Area, alone. Distribution teams (each comprising a health worker from the nearest health facility and a CHW) visited at least 150 persons/day for 4 days. Supervision was conducted by 48 national and 833 district supervisors. In addition, 70 independent monitors visited 8400 households in 4 days and assessed the coverage and quality of the MDA during the campaign (In-process) and immediately after (End-process); and 33 health staff specifically trained in pharmacovigilance interviewed a total of about 19,000 persons after each cycle and recorded reports of adverse effects.
Intensive social mobilization before and during the MDA campaign included advocacy meetings with local stakeholders; press briefing, jingle slots on national radios and local FMs and TV panel discussions; posters and banners; megaphone-mounted vehicles and town criers. Key messaging focussed on benefits of ASAQ to reduce fever and how to avoid possible confusion with Ebola suspects; expected common side effects of ASAQ; importance of adherence to treatment; beneficiary and excluded groups; and what to do and where to report in event of suspected adverse drug reaction.
Given the scope of the MDA as emergency measure to reduce the burden of malaria in the context of the Ebola outbreak, its unprecedented large scale in Africa, and the significant investments made, WHO and NMCP collaborated to evaluate the impact of the MDA on malaria morbidity and burden of cases presenting as Ebola suspected patients.
This study aimed to primarily assess the impact of the MDA on trends of number of malaria cases attending health facilities in the chiefdoms (sub-districts) targeted for MDA; and of suspected Ebola alerts.