Assessment of adherence to Malaria diagnosis and treatment guidelines and its perceived facilitators and barriers among health care workers in Gambella town, Southwest Ethiopia

Abstract

Background. Malaria is a life-threatening disease caused by plasmodium species and remains one of the leading public health problems worldwide including in Ethiopia. Adherence to National malaria diagnosis and treatment guideline (NMDTG) improves the quality of care and patient outcomes. Non-adherence to guidelines exposes the patient to the abuse of anti-malarial medications, higher expenditures resources, patient discontent and increases non-malaria morbidity and mortality. Effective case management is a crucial component of malaria control and elimination strategies in Ethiopia. However, the level of adherence to the NMDTG is not known, particularly in