INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PROGRESSIVE RESEARCH IN SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING, VOL.2, NO.6, JUNE 2021. MARK JANSON A. CO., et.al: SYSTEMATIC ANALYSIS OF PLASMODIUM FALCIPARUM HISTIDINE RICH PROTEIN-2 (PF HRP-2) BASED RAPID DIAGNOSTIC TEST FOR MALARIA 109 Systematic Analysis of Plasmodium Falciparum Histidine Rich Protein-2 (Pf HRP-2) Based Rapid Diagnostic Test for Malaria Mark Janson A. Co 1 , Kyla Geannel H. Beron 1 , Alyanna Coleen P. Borillo 1 , Ynnah Inocencia M. Bugarin 1 , Leanne Winter U. Cheng 1 , Brian M. Correa 1 , Edilberto P. Manahan 1,2 , Maria Ruth B. Pineda-Cortel 1,2 1 Department of Medical Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Santo Tomas, España, Manila, Philippines. 2 The Graduate School, University of Santo Tomas, España, Manila, Philippines. Corresponding Author: markjanson.co.pharma@ust.edu.ph Abstract: - The Philippines is known to have malaria as an endemic infection primarily affecting people in areas like Palawan and Mindoro. With the lack of equipment such as microscopes for accurate diagnosis, rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) have been widely used for the initial diagnosis of infected people in remote areas. However, only limited studies are published locally that compile and summarize related studies about Plasmodium falciparum Histidine Rich Protein-2 (PfHRP-2) based RDTs. Through a systematic review of relevant literature, two PfHRP-2-based RDTs were compared in terms of their sensitivity and specificity with reference to microscopy as the gold standard method. The journals and articles were systematically searched, screened through various stages for relevance, and assessed for quality. Following that, statistical data were extracted, gathered, and analyzed. The meta-analysis showed that Paracheck-pf ® performed better than Parahit-f ® in terms of its pooled sensitivity (91.8% and 59.9%, respectively) and specificity (85.0% and 98.1%, respectively). Consequently, Paracheck-pf ® demonstrated greater accuracy than Parahit-f ® based on the pooled DOR (91.184 and 42.013, respectively) and AUC (0.956 and 0.843, respectively). These RDTs were greatly influenced by factors such as parasitemia levels, kit quality, storage requirements and temperature, performance of consumers, etc. With this, the use of RDTs may be utilized, as an initial diagnosis for the disease, as there is still a need to use the gold standard microscopy to confirm the diagnosis. Key Words: — malaria, microscopy, rapid diagnostic test, Plasmodium falciparum histidine-rich protein-2, sensitivity, specificity, paracheck-pf ®, Parahit-f ® I. INTRODUCTION A mosquito-borne disease referred to as Malaria is caused by the Plasmodium parasites namely Plasmodium falciparum, Plasmodium vivax, Plasmodium ovale, and Plasmodium malariae. This Plasmodium spp. are vectors of the infected female Anopheles minimus flavirostris mosquito that feed on humans [1]. This mosquito-borne disease if left untreated will most likely lead to an increased rate of fatality due to the flu- like symptoms, fever, and severe body chills that it brings [2]. The rate of Malaria in the Philippines has rapidly increased over the years, with 92% and deaths by 98% [3]. Evolving cases of malaria remain to be highly concentrated in remote and far- flung areas like Palawan. As for malaria prevention and awareness allocated by the Philippine government, the Department of Health (2019) has established its goal of reducing the incidence rate of malaria to 90% [4]. Key measures are continually being protocolled on categorized endemic areas; however, local transmission may not be prevented. The diagnosis of malaria is achieved through a blood smear preparation which is the primary gold standard. This gold standard for the laboratory diagnosis of malaria includes a thick and thin blood smear preparation and its microscopic examination. In a microscopic examination, the laboratory personnel may observe the presence of erythrocytes infected with the Plasmodium spp. through its cell morphology, cell membrane rigidity, ring forms, permeability, and adhesiveness to endothelial surfaces [5]. Despite the preferred use of the gold standard, restrained healthcare circumstances in tropical endemic areas like the Philippines, especially the provinces of Palawan and Mindoro, limit the access of this gold standard in the diagnosis of malaria. Far-flung areas that demand rapid turnaround time and the lack Manuscript revised June 21, 2021; accepted June 22, 2021. Date of publication June 24, 2021. This paper available online at www.ijprse.com ISSN (Online): 2582-7898