Analysis on external competency assessment for malaria microscopists in China

Area of Science:

• Medical Parasitology
• Public Health
• Microscopy Training

Background:

• Malaria elimination requires skilled microscopists.
• The World Health Organization External Competency Assessment of Malaria Microscopists (WHO-ECAMM) program was implemented in China (2017-2018).
• A preparatory training course preceded the ECAMM assessments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the effectiveness of the WHO-ECAMM training model.
• To evaluate the competency of malaria microscopists in China.
• To explore correlations between microscopist competency and malaria prevalence.

Main Methods:

• Four courses were conducted adhering to WHO guidelines.
• Statistical analyses included paired t-tests, ANOVAs, Kruskal-Wallis, and Dunn's post hoc tests.
• Bivariate correlations and linear regression analyzed competency scores against age, experience, and provincial malaria case numbers.

Main Results:

• Participants improved scores from pre- to post-assessment within each course.
• Provincial malaria case numbers strongly correlated with species identification scores (r=0.45-0.57).
• Parasitaemia levels in Plasmodium falciparum slides correlated with parasite counting accuracy (r=0.44).

Conclusions:

• The WHO-ECAMM model is effective for improving and assessing microscopist competency.
• Decreased malaria cases in certain Chinese regions correlate with improved microscopist skills.
• The training contributes to malaria elimination goals by enhancing diagnostic accuracy.