Abstract
MALARIA SITUATION IN TANZANIA
The population of Tanzania in 2012 was 43.6 million people 1 , with an estimated growth of 3.2 percent per year2 . More than 93 percent of mainland Tanzania’s population is at risk for malaria3 .
MALARIA PREVALENCE
Mainland Tanzania has three malaria transmission zones: a zone of unstable seasonal malaria where 20 percent of transmission occurs, a zone of stable malaria with another 20 percent of transmission, and a zone of stable perennial transmission with 60 percent of malaria transmission. Over 40 percent of all outpatient visits are due to malaria, with between 10 and 12 million clinical cases annually4 .
NATIONAL TREATMENT GUIDELINES
The 2014-2020 National Malaria Control Program (NMCP) strategic plan recommends treatment after testing as part of effective case management at all levels of care.
Tanzania uses the Artemisinin-based Combination Therapy (ACT) Artemether Lumefantrine (AL) as the first-line treatment for uncomplicated malaria and Artesunate Amodiaquine (ASAQ) as an alternative, second line drug. In 2013, the NMCP revised these guidelines to add injectable artesunate as treatment for severe malaria. The NMCP also recommends Sulfadoxine Pyrimethamine (SP) for IPTp (intermittent preventive treatment in pregnancy) for malaria.