A universal test for malaria should be highly sensitive and must have high negative predictive value.
Over diagnosis (False Positives) is still okay (these will be over treated) but under diagnosis (false negatives) should not be there in Plasmodium falciparum as it is dangerous malaria. Therefore, a test for malaria should have a high negative predictive value (should be 100%), i.e., the test rendered negative does not have Malaria. Moreover, a high sensitivity i.e. a negative test rules out the disease.
Rapid Response:
A universal test for malaria should be highly sensitive and must have high negative predictive value.
Over diagnosis (False Positives) is still okay (these will be over treated) but under diagnosis (false negatives) should not be there in Plasmodium falciparum as it is dangerous malaria. Therefore, a test for malaria should have a high negative predictive value (should be 100%), i.e., the test rendered negative does not have Malaria. Moreover, a high sensitivity i.e. a negative test rules out the disease.
Competing interests: No competing interests