One blood drop, two diseases: integrating diabetes screening into malaria services to advance primary health care in Côte d'Ivoire.
4 affiliations
- 1Département de Médecine Sociale et Préventive, École de Santé Publique, Université de Montréal, 7101 Park Ave, Montreal, QC H3N 1X9, Canada.
- 2Centre de Recherche en Santé Publique (CReSP), Université de Montréal, 7101 Park Ave, Montreal, QC H3N 1X9, Canada.
- 3Département de Nutrition, Université de Montréal, Pavillon Liliane-de-Stewart, 2405 Côte-Sainte-Catherine Road, Montreal, QC H3T 1A8, Canada.
- 4Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Yopougon, Département d'Endocrinologie Diabétologie, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire.
Abstract
Objective
To propose a systematic integration of diabetes screening into malaria diagnostic protocols within primary health care as an effective strategy to strengthen early diabetes detection in malaria-endemic regions.Methods
This commentary draws on preliminary qualitative evidence from research conducted in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire between March and May 2022 with patients living with type 2 diabetes and healthcare professionals.Results
Preliminary data suggests malaria-endemic contexts may act as a barrier to diabetes testing. Some patients attributed their symptoms to malaria, delaying their diabetes diagnosis, while some healthcare professionals reported instances when they attributed symptoms to malaria without ordering glucose tests, leading to missed diabetes diagnoses. Other healthcare professionals noted that including blood glucose measurement in malaria investigations enabled the identification of previously undiagnosed diabetes, thus leading to opportunities for policy change to improve early diagnosis.Conclusions
Integrating diabetes screening into malaria diagnostic protocols within primary health care offers a pragmatic and non-invasive opportunity for early screening. Leveraging global efforts to fight malaria and employing a 'one blood drop two diseases' approach could optimize patient encounters and help reduce inequalities in access to diabetes diagnosis in malaria-endemic geographies. This proposal requires feasibility, implementation and cost-effectiveness studies before consideration for political adoption.
Related
- Type 2 diabetes screening in Côte d’Ivoire: Challenges and opportunities in malaria-endemic context
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- Home-based primary care services for managing non-communicable diseases in rural India: a retrospective multiple time-point observational study
- Sexually transmitted infection testing among U.S. adolescents in relation to U.S. Preventive Services Task Force screening guidelines
BibTeX
@article{etty2026blood,
title = {{One blood drop, two diseases: integrating diabetes screening into malaria services to advance primary health care in Côte d'Ivoire.}},
author = {Marie-Christine Etty and Jean-Claude Moubarac and Jacko Abodo and Rosanne Blanchet},
journal = {Preventive medicine reports},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1016/j.pmedr.2026.103660},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42903674},
note = {CC BY-NC},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - One blood drop, two diseases: integrating diabetes screening into malaria services to advance primary health care in Côte d'Ivoire.
AU - Marie-Christine Etty
AU - Jean-Claude Moubarac
AU - Jacko Abodo
AU - Rosanne Blanchet
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/08
JO - Preventive medicine reports
DO - 10.1016/j.pmedr.2026.103660
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42903674
AB - Objective To propose a systematic integration of diabetes screening into malaria diagnostic protocols within primary health care as an effective strategy to strengthen early diabetes detection in malaria-endemic regions.Methods This commentary draws on preliminary qualitative evidence from research conducted in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire between March and May 2022 with patients living with type 2 diabetes and healthcare professionals.Results Preliminary data suggests malaria-endemic contexts may act as a barrier to diabetes testing. Some patients attributed their symptoms to malaria, delaying their diabetes diagnosis, while some healthcare professionals reported instances when they attributed symptoms to malaria without ordering glucose tests, leading to missed diabetes diagnoses. Other healthcare professionals noted that including blood glucose measurement in malaria investigations enabled the identification of previously undiagnosed diabetes, thus leading to opportunities for policy change to improve early diagnosis.Conclusions Integrating diabetes screening into malaria diagnostic protocols within primary health care offers a pragmatic and non-invasive opportunity for early screening. Leveraging global efforts to fight malaria and employing a 'one blood drop two diseases' approach could optimize patient encounters and help reduce inequalities in access to diabetes diagnosis in malaria-endemic geographies. This proposal requires feasibility, implementation and cost-effectiveness studies before consideration for political adoption.
SN - 2211-3355
ER -