Innovative Public-private Partnership to Target Subsidized Antimalarials in the Retail Sector

Overview

There are compelling medical and public health reasons to reduce unnecessary consumption of antimalarials and strong evidence to support the use of RDTs in malaria case management. The primary study hypothesis to be tested is that clients who know they will receive a subsidy conditional on a positive test are more likely to opt for testing before deciding which drug to buy. The primary endpoint is whether subjects choose to be tested for malaria with a rapid diagnostic test. The secondary endpoint is whether they purchased an artemisinin combination therapy (ACT) or not. The primary outcome of interest is to compare the proportion of participants who choose to receive a free malaria diagnostic test when they can receive a subsidy for a discounted drug conditional on a positive test (Group A compared to Group B) compared to those without the offer of a conditional subsidy. The investigators will use an experimental design that randomly assigns clients to one of four groups. Field workers will canvas households in the study area looking for individuals who have fever or history of fever or illness in the last 24 hours (current illness) who have not yet taken drugs or sought treatment outside the home. Clients who meet the inclusion criteria and give verbal consent to participate will be randomly assigned to one of the four groups. They will be given the location and contact information for their local community health worker who can provide a malaria rapid diagnostic test if they choose to be tested. They will also complete a survey tool. One week later, the field worker will return to interview the participant and determine whether they were tested, what action they took for their illness, what medicine they purchased and how much they paid. The investigators will summarize clients' choice by the four randomized study groups.