Los microscopistas son fundamentales para los programas de lucha contra el paludismo, y de sus aptitudes diagnósticas y técnicas dependen los servicios tanto curativos como de vigilancia de la enfermedad. Por consiguiente, la formación en materia de diagnóstico microscópico del paludismo debe ser sólida y estar adaptada al alto grado de exigencia actual.

En los últimos años el número de casos de malaria se ha reducido sustancialmente en varios de los 21 países endémicos en Las Américas. En el caso de la malaria por P. falciparum, la información notificada a la Organización Panamericana de la Salud por los Estados Miembros sobre el comportamiento de la enfermedad en el 2009, muestra países donde no se notificaron casos por esta especie en dicho periodo y otros donde el registro de casos fue muy bajo y focalizado.

La resistencia del Plasmodium falciparum a los medicamentos antimaláricos es un problema que dificulta el control de la malaria en las Américas. En la actualidad, el P. falciparum es resistente a la cloroquina (CQ) y la sulfadoxina-pirimetamina (SP) en casi toda la región amazónica y a la CQ en la Costa del Pacifico de Sudamérica.

The purpose of this document is to provide specific and standardized procedures and guidelines for testing long-lasting insecticidal mosquito nets (LNs) for personal protection and malaria control. It is intended to harmonize the testing procedures carried out to generate data for registration and labelling of such products by national authorities.

The Guidelines for malaria vector control provide a “one-stop shop” for all countries and partners working to implement effective malaria vector control measures. They cover the 2 core malaria vector control interventions...

Pesticide procurement is a highly specialized and complex subject. Expertise is required to ensure that appropriate high-quality pesticide products are procured rapidly, effi ciently, economically and in a fair and transparent manner. It also requires the existence of national policies and guidelines, with clear and transparent procedures supported by appropriate legal provisions and controls.

Malaria case management remains a vital component of the malaria control strategies. This entails early diagnosis and prompt treatment with effective antimalarial medicines. The WHO Guidelines for the treatment of malaria, which were first published in 2006, provide global, evidence-based recommendations on the case management of malaria, targeted mainly at policy-makers at country level, providing a framework for the development of specific and more detailed national treatment protocols that take into account local antimalarial drug resistance patterns and health service capacity in the country.

The objective of this document is to provide guidance in the performance of a situation analysis aimed at identifying the weaknesses, strengths and needs for strengthening a country's public health pesticide management practices.

Reports of the WHOPES Working Group Meetings and the WHOPES publication “Pesticides and their application for control of vectors and pests of public health importance should be consulted for guidance on use and recommendations,

WHO recommendations on the use of pesticides in public health are valid ONLY if linked to WHO specifications for their quality control.

Reports of the WHOPES Working Group Meetings should be consulted for detailed guidance on use and recommendations.