Methodology
3.1. Study design
A comparative cross-sectional study will be conducted within a period of six months at Health Services Partner Cameroon Polyclinic and the Kumba town health area. Participants who present to the hospital with a clinical suspicion of malaria will be matched for age and sex on a one on one basis with healthy participants from the community. The study will be designed in accordance with the STARD guidelines for the presentation of diagnostic studies (27)
3.2. Study area and setting
This study will be conducted in Health Services Partner Cameroon Foundation Polyclinic (HSPC Polyclinic). HSPC Polyclinic is one of the health facilities in the Kumba health district and the only health facility in the mile 1 community. It is a non-profit hospital with the aim of serving communities at risk such as the mile 1 community. It has the following departments and programs: Out-patient department, emergency unit, laboratory department, in-patient department, maternal and infant
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We also expect that the Q-POC test will be able to detect species and sensitive antimalarial drugs for the diagnosed species. Even though we expect to find more malaria cases in the symptomatic group, there will be a significant number of participants in the asymptomatic group with positive malaria test.
4.2. Limitations and strengths
Only one RDT test will be used in this study (CareStart™ Malaria HRP2/pLDH Combo Test). However, studies have proven that it is one of the most sensitive RDT available in the market. This study will also use the relatively new QuantuMDx device, the Q-POC which uses advanced technology to diagnose malaria, determine species and drug sensitivity. It will be the first time this device is used in Cameroon and to the best of our knowledge the first time it is being tested in central and west Africa.
4.3. Potential