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Malaria in Pregnancy: A Solvable Problem—Bringing the Maternal Health and Malaria Communities Together

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https://vimeo.com/63413129

Malaria in Pregnancy: An overview (0:0034:24)
Feiko ter Kuile, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine

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ter Kuile discussed dosing with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP), highlighting the need to harmonize the messages with both the evidence-base and national and global policies. He also explained that promoting 3-4 doses of SP might be a better option than the current standard of “at least 2.” ter Kuile pointed out that harmonizing the dosing with the number of recommended ANC visits may increase uptake of intermittent preventive treatment in pregnancy. Noting the growing resistance to SP ter Kuile noted that new drugs will be more complicated to dose and expensive to deliver, therefore, it is critical to strengthen the ANC platform now.

Assessing the association between malaria prevention in pregnancy and risk of low birth weight and neonatal mortality (34:2452:23)
Thom Eisele, Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine

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Eisele discussed the association between malaria prevention in pregnancy and the risk of low birth weight (LBW) babies and neonatal mortality. Eisele explained that malaria prevention in pregnancy was associated with a significant reduction in the odds of LBW and neonatal mortality in first and second parities under routine program conditions across Africa and that prevention efforts were also protective against LBW and neonatal mortality in third or higher parities. These findings support the effort to scale up access of both intermittent preventive treatment in pregnancy and insecticide-treated nets to pregnant women of all parities in areas of stable malaria transmission.

For more information, please visit the malaria in pregnancy technical meeting page.