The use of respondent‑driven sampling to assess febrile illness treatment-seeking behaviours among forest-goers in Cambodia and Vietnam

BACKGROUND: Countries in the Greater Mekong sub-region (GMS) aim to eliminate all forms of malaria by 2030. In Cambodia and Vietnam, forest-goers are at an increased risk of malaria. Universal access to prompt diagnosis and treatment is a core malaria intervention. This can only be achieved by understanding the healthcare-seeking behaviour among the most vulnerable groups and eliminating barriers to prompt and effective treatment. This study aimed to explore healthcare-seeking behaviours for febrile illness among populations at risk for malaria in Cambodia and Vietnam. METHODS: In 2019, researchers from Population Services International (PSI) conducted a population-based survey of forest-goers in Cambodia and Vietnam using respondent-driven sampling (RDS) In Cambodia two operational districts, Oral and Phnom Srouch in Kampong Speu Province were included in the study. In Vietnam, communes located within 15 km of the forest edge in Binh Phuoc and Gia Lai Provinces were selected. Adults who had spent at least one night per week or four nights per month in the forest over the previous three months were eligible for the study. RESULTS: Some 75% of forest-goers in Cambodia and 65% in Vietnam sought treatment for illness outside the home. In Cambodia, 39% sought treatment from the private sector, 32% from community health workers, and 24% from public health facilities. In Vietnam, 62% sought care from community facilities, 29.3% from the private sector, and 6.9% went to a public facility. Among forest-goers who sought care, 33% in Cambodia and 52% in Vietnam did so within 24 h. CONCLUSIONS: This study is consistent with others that show that early diagnosis and treatment of malaria remains an obstacle to malaria elimination. This study also demonstrates that there are gaps in timeliness of care seeking among forest-goers. The findings from this study around provider preference and delays in treatment-seeking can be used to strengthen the design and targeting of malaria interventions and social and behaviour change strategies to accelerate malaria elimination in Cambodia and Vietnam. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12936-021-04001-9.