Rapid assessment of head lice infestations

Abstract

[Extract] When financial and human resources are limited, policy makers and health care providers need cost effective and simple indicators for health problems. The so-called rapid assessment method is a way to investigate situations in which some issues are not yet well defined and where sufficient time or resources for long-term assessments are not given. In case of infectious and parasitic diseases, these simple indicators (such as asking a patient if he/she considers being infected, or simple clinical assessments) are commonly used to plan and monitor mass interventions. Additionally, rapid assessment also helps to detect parasitised individuals, and to plan individual treatment. Rapid assessment methods have been developed for a variety of diseases and health conditions, and thus have a great value in resource-poor as well as in high income settings [1-4]. These methods may also be helpful to plan and monitor interventions.