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Why we test for malaria before we treat it

, Dr Adebola Ojo

A malaria rapid test cassette beside a finger-prick lancet and a cotton swab on a clinic tray
Illustration. Not a photo of our staff or premises.

A fever is not always malaria. A quick test tells the doctor which medicine you need.

Many fevers are malaria, and many are not. A malaria test takes about 20 minutes here, and it tells the doctor whether malaria medicine will help.

If the test is negative, the doctor looks for the real cause, so you are not given medicine you do not need.