Prevalence of XXXX among clients seeking treatment for @entity221 or @entity311 at drug stores in rural Tanzania 2004.

@entity1 @entity311 @entity221 @entity5895
OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of @entity5895 and other common illnesses among drug store clients in one rural community, with a view to the potential role of specialist drug stores in expanding coverage of effective @entity311 treatment to households in highly endemic areas. METHOD: Follow-back study of 2466 client visits selected from all 10 drug stores operating in the town of Ikwiriri between May 30 and August 31 2004. Of these, 521 (21.2%) were made by or on behalf of @entity1 ill with @entity221 or @entity311 . Two hundred and ninety three were eligible as residents of the surrounding nine villages and all agreed to participate in the study. Each @entity1 was evaluated by a clinical officer and provided a blood sample for @entity311 on the day of the shop visit, either at the shop or at home. RESULTS: Only 50 (17.1%) visits by or on behalf of febrile @entity1 resulted in the purchase of an antimalarial drug, while an antipyretic medication was obtained at 226 visits (77.1%). Clinicians diagnosed @entity311 in 63.8% of @entity1 . @entity311 parasites were identified in blood film samples from 24.2% (95% CI: 19.6, 29.5). This is double the parasite prevalence rate of 10.7% (95% CI: 8.6, 13.1) obtained from a household survey of 1004 healthy individuals selected from these villages at the same time. It is not significantly lower than the prevalence observed among 880 clients presenting with @entity221 at health facilities in the district: 29.7% (95% CI: 23.0, 37.3). The prevalence of @entity5895 among @entity1 younger than 5 years whose families sought @entity221 treatment from drug stores (42.1%; 95% CI: 31.4, 53.5) was equal to that of @entity1 presenting with @entity221 at health facilities (42.5%; 95% CI: 25.0, 62.2). CONCLUSIONS: Currently, drug store clients do not obtain @entity311 -specific treatment in the majority of cases where it might be warranted. Parasitological findings indicate that drug store clients, especially @entity1 , are as likely to be infected with @entity311 as @entity1 seeking care for similar illnesses at health facilities. Drug stores may be attractive partners for policy makers eager to engage the private retail sector in expanding coverage of @entity311 treatment.
