Tanzania HIV/AIDS and Malaria Indicator Survey ... - Measure DHS

11.4.1 Type and Timing of Antimalarial DrugsPrompt access to effective antimalarial treatment is one of the major strategies for reducingthe burden of malaria. Prompt access means having treatment available as near as possible to thehouse so that the drugs are given within 24 hours of onset of symptoms.Table 11.6 shows the different antimalarial drugs that were received by children under agefive with a fever in the two weeks preceding the survey. ACT, the first-line drug in Tanzania at thetime of the survey, is the most often used antimalarial drug in government and faith-based healthfacilities. In Mainland Tanzania, there is no scale-up programme to facilitate availability of ACT inthe private sector. Previous first- and second-line monotherapy drugs (SP and Amodiaquine) are notbanned at this time, though the superiority of ACT, such as Artermether Lumefantrine (ALu), tomonotherapies is well documented (MOHSW, 2006).Table 11.6 Type and timing of antimalarial drugsAmong children under age five years with fever in the two weeks preceding the survey, percentage who took specific antimalarial drugs, andpercentage who took the drugs the same day or the next day after developing the fever, by background characteristics, Tanzania HMIS2007-08BackgroundcharacteristicPercentage of children who tookspecific antimalarial drugsSP/ Chloro- Amodia-Fansidar quine quine QuinineALu/CoartemOtherantimalarialPercentage of children who took specificantimalarial drugs the same dayor the next daySP/ Chloro- Amodia-Fansidar quine quine QuinineALu/CoartemNumberofchildrenwithfeverAge (in months)