Quality of sexually transmitted disease treatments in the formal and informal sectors of Bangui, Central African Republic

Background: Interventions for upgrading sexually transmitted disease (STD) management in sub-Saharan Africa have focused on the public sector, and to a much lower extent on private medical practitioners and pharmacies, Howeve r, in most African cities there is a large informal sector that provides ca re to many patients with STD symptoms. Goal: To compare the quality of treatments offered to patients with major S TD syndromes in the public sector, pharmacies, and the informal sector of t he same city. Study Design: Healthcare providers in health centers, pharmacies, private l aboratories, and market drug peddlers in Bangui, Central African Republic, were asked to complete a short form for every patient consulting them with genital complaints. The treatments they ordered were evaluated for their po tential efficacy against the major etiologic agents of the syndrome for whi ch the patient consulted, Results: The majority of male patients with STDs preferred to seek care in pharmacies and in the informal sector, The STD treatments offered to patien ts with urethral discharge or genital ulcers in pharmacies and in the infor mal sector tended to focus on a single etiologic agent, The quality of STD treatments offered by drug peddlers and private laboratories was poor, apar t from adequate coverage of syphilis in patients with genital ulcers and of candidiasis in women with vaginal discharge, For instance, 41% and 34% of patients with urethral discharge managed by drug peddlers and private labor atories did not receive a drug active against either Neisseria gonorhoeae o r Chlamydia trachomatis, whereas this proportion was 22% in pharmacies and 14% in health centers. For patients with genital ulcers, the proportion off ered a drug active against Haemophilus ducreyi was 2% if seen by drug peddl ers, 0% in laboratories, 10% in pharmacies, and 25% in health centers. For each syndrome and each category of provider, between one fourth and two thi rds of patients had already received another ineffective treatment elsewher e. Conclusion: National STD and HIV control programs will have to improve STD management in pharmacies and in the informal sector if they are to have any impact on the dynamics of HIV infection in urban centers.