Assessment of adherence to malaria chemoprophylaxis in a French Navy frigate deployed in Southeast Asia
B Nicolas, L Papillault des Charbonnières, T Vasseur, P Mauclere, B Nicolas, L Papillault des Charbonnières, T Vasseur, P Mauclere
Abstract
During a 2-month mission in Southeast Asia, including numerous stopovers in coastal cities, the crew of a frigate of the French Navy received doxycycline for antimalarial prophylaxis. Adherence to this chemoprophylaxis was evaluated with an anonymous questionnaire distributed at the end of the malaria exposure period. The response rate was 74 % (72 crew members). Among them, 67 sailors felt they had received clear information about the risks of malaria. Overall, 19 (27 %) respondents reported adherence (one forgotten pill, by no more than 15 days), 18 (25 %) irregular adherence (one or more pills forgotten weekly or stopped during the mission), and 35 recognized that they had not taken the treatment. These results, in the light of recent international recommendations, suggest that strategies for the prevention of malaria without systematic use of chemoprophylaxis (personal vector protection measures, an "Army posture" strategy), would be more suitable for medicalized ships cruising in this area.
Keywords: French navy; Malaria; Southeast Asia; adherence; antimalarial chemoprophylaxis.
Source: PubMed