Screening and treatment of cryptococcal meningitis in Kilombero and Ulanga districts in Tanzania .

This is a multi-site randomized trial of sertraline and high-dose Fluconazol for the treatment of cryptococcal meningitis. Patients are randomized into conventional treatment with Amphotericin B, Fluconazol and Sertraline versus Amphotericin B and Fluconazol. Ifakara did not initially start randomization but remained with an open-label design, specifically focusing on the question of added value of Sertraline to Fluconazol. In a second protocol, designed as a recruitment study for ASTRO, CRASK (Cryptococcal Antigen Screening Kilombero) screens patients from the peripheral CTCs with a easy to perform Antigen tests and refers them to Ifakara for further diagnostics and treatment within ASTRO in case of proof of cryptococcal meningitis.