Background: Despite widespread Plasmodium falciparum resistance, intermittent preventive treatment in pregnancy (IPTp) with sulfadoxine–pyrimethamine is more protective against adverse pregnancy and birth outcomes compared to IPTp with dihydroartemisinin–piperaquine, even though dihydroartemisinin–piperaquine is superior against malaria-related outcomes. We assessed whether adding metronidazole to sulfadoxine–pyrimethamine is more protective against adverse pregnancy and birth outcomes compared to IPTp with dihydroartemisinin–piperaquine in an area of high malaria transmission and parasite resistance to sulfadoxine–pyrimethamine, and where curable sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in pregnancy, including bacterial vaginosis, are common. Methods: From December 2019 to March 2022, we enrolled pregnant women without HIV into ASPIRE, an individually randomised, double-blinded, three-arm, partly placebo-controlled trial in Zambia. Participants received monthly IPTp with standard sulfadoxine–pyrimethamine (3 tablets 500mg sulfadoxine and 25mg pyrimethamine) plus placebo metronidazole in Arm 1, or standard sulfadoxine–pyrimethamine plus metronidazole (4 tablets 500mg) in Arm 2, or dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine plus metronidazole (3 tablets 40mg dihydroartemisinin and 320mg piperaquine once daily for 3 consecutive days) plus metronidazole (4 tablets 500mg) in Arm 3. The primary outcome was any adverse pregnancy or birth outcome (spontaneous abortion, stillbirth, low birthweight, preterm birth, or neonatal death). Secondary outcomes included components of the primary outcome, small-for-gestational age, and day 28 treatment efficacy of IPTp regimens against asymptomatic Plasmodium falciparum malaria infection and asymptomatic curable STIs. We used a modified intention-to-treat analysis for the primary outcome. ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT04189744. Findings: 5436 pregnant women were allocated to three treatment-arms. Overall, 16·3% (288/1763) of women in Arm 1 (reference) had adverse pregnancy and birth outcomes compared to 16·6% (290/1745) in Arm 2 (p=0·82), and 16·0% (281/1755) in Arm 3 (p=0·79). Of individual components of adverse pregnancy and birth outcomes in the primary outcome, none differed across arms. However, women in Arm 3 were at greater risk of delivering small-for-gestational age newborns relative to Arm 1, 28·4% (476/1678) vs 24·5% (408/1663) (p=0·01). In Arms 1, 2, and 3, the day 28 clearance of asymptomatic peripheral malaria detected by PCR was 72·1% (555/770), 71·8% (541/754), and 93·5% (722/772), respectively. In Arm 1, day 28 clearance of asymptomatic STIs by PCR, and bacterial vaginosis by microscopy using the Nugent score, were: Chlamydia trachomatis 98·4% (60/61), Neisseria gonorrhoea 84·1% (95/113), Trichomonas vaginalis 75·0% (96/128), and bacterial vaginosis 34·3% (193/563). In Arm 2, day 28 clearance rates were: C. trachomatis 89·5% (51/57), N. gonorrhoea 84·2% (96/114), T. vaginalis 87·5% (105/120), and bacterial vaginosis 53·9% (289/536). In Arm 3, day 28 clearance rates were: C. trachomatis 80·8% (42/52), N. gonorrhoea 84·9% (84/99), T. vaginalis 89·8% (115/128), and bacterial vaginosis 62·2% (335/536). Interpretation: Neither Arm 2 nor 3 were superior to Arm 1 for protection against adverse pregnancy and birth outcomes. Arm 3 was superior to Arms 1 and 2 against malaria infection, whereas all IPTp regimens reduced curable STIs, including bacterial vaginosis. Sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine may serve as an important tool fo

BACKGROUND:Sub-Saharan Africa has a high burden of pneumococcal diseases. Pneumococcal carriage precedes invasive disease and transmission. The introduction of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs) has significantly reduced global vaccine-type (VT) pneumococcal disease, but data on PCVs' long-term impact on VT serotypes in Africa are limited. We aimed to evaluate PCV13's long-term effect on pneumococcal carriage in rural Gambia. METHODS:From January to November 2022, we conducted a population-based, cross-sectional pneumococcal carriage survey in Central and Upper River Regions of The Gambia. We collected data on demographic characteristics, clinical history, risk factors, and PCV status. Nasopharyngeal swabs were taken from randomly selected household members of all ages. Streptococcus pneumoniae was isolated and serotyped using standard methods. We measured the prevalence of pneumococcal carriage by specific age groups, PCV13 vaccination status, and the proportions of different pneumococcal outcomes among carriers. We performed multivariable logistic regression to examine factors associated with VT carriage. RESULTS:Overall, 4087 participants were enrolled; the prevalence of pneumococcal carriage was 32.1% (95% CI: 29.34% - 35.03%). The estimated prevalence of PCV13 VT carriage was 6.4% (95% CI: 5.48% - 7.47%). Children aged 5-9 years had the highest VT carriage prevalence at 13.6% (95% CI: 10.34% - 17.56%). Among fully PCV-vaccinated children under 10, the odds of VT carriage in 5-9-year-olds were 1.60 times higher than in infants aged 0-11 months [AOR = 1.60, 95% CI:1.06-2.41]. The prevalence of VT carriage was similar among fully PCV-vaccinated and unvaccinated children under 10 years of age. Serotypes 19F, 3 and 6A were the most abundant VTs; 19F and 3 were the most prevalent among <5 and 5-14-year-old children, respectively. CONCLUSIONS:Ten years after the introduction of PCV13 in the Gambia, residual VT carriage persists, particularly in age groups in whom direct protection from immunization in infancy has waned. A booster dose or catch-up vaccinations could aid control of VT circulation.

Although pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs) have been used widely in many low and middle-income countries, residual vaccine-type (VT) carriage persists in these settings. We examined the role of specific age groups in transmission and as reservoirs of VT pneumococcal infection in The Gambia. Between January and November 2022, we conducted a nested, population-based, cross-sectional social contact and pneumococcal carriage survey in the Central and Upper River Regions of The Gambia. Participants completed questionnaires on carriage risk factors and social contacts. Nasopharyngeal swabs were collected from selected household members across all age groups. Streptococcus pneumoniae was isolated and serotyped using standard methods. We analysed matched contact and pneumococcal carriage data and estimated the proportions of VT carriage attributable to contact with different age groups. A total of 1638 participants were enrolled, of which 67

Close contact between an infectious and susceptible person is an important factor in respiratory disease transmission. Information on social contacts and mixing patterns in a population is crucial to understanding transmission patterns and informing transmission models of respiratory infections. Although West Africa has one of the highest burdens of respiratory infections, there is a lack of data on interpersonal contact and mixing patterns in this region. Between January and November 2022, we conducted a cross-sectional, social contact survey within the population of the Central and Upper River Regions of The Gambia. Selected participants completed a questionnaire about their travel history and social contacts, detailing the number, intensity, location, frequency, duration, and age of contacts. We calculated age-standardized contact matrices to determine contact patterns in the population. Overall, individuals made an average of 12.7 (95

INTRODUCTION:School-aged children play a major role in the transmission of many respiratory pathogens due to high rate of close contacts in schools. The validity and accuracy of proxy-reported contact data may be limited, particularly for children when attending school. We observed social contacts within schools and assessed the accuracy of proxy-reported versus observed physical contact data among students in rural Gambia. METHODS:We enrolled school children who had also been recruited to a survey of Streptococcus pneumoniae carriage and social contacts. We visited participants at school and observed their contact patterns within and outside the classroom for two hours. We recorded the contact type, gender and approximate age of the contactee, and class size. We calculated age-stratified contact matrices to determine in-school contact patterns. We compared proxy-reported estimated physical contacts for the subset of participants (18 %) randomised to be observed on the same day for which the parent or caregiver reported the school contacts. RESULTS:We recorded 3822 contacts for 219 participants from 114 schools. The median number of contacts was 15 (IQR: 11-20). Contact patterns were strongly age-assortative, and mainly involved physical touch (67.5 %). Those aged 5-9 years had the highest mean number of contacts [19.0 (95 %CI: 16.7-21.3)] while the ≥ 15-year age group had fewer contacts [12.8 (95 %CI: 10.9-14.7)]. Forty (18 %) participants had their school-observed contact data collected on the same day as their caregiver reported their estimated physical contacts at school; only 22.5 % had agreement within ±2 contacts between the observed and reported contacts. Fifty-eight percent of proxy-reported contacts were under-estimates. CONCLUSIONS:Social contact rates observed among pupils at schools in rural Gambia were high, strongly age-assortative, and physical. Reporting of school contacts by proxies may underestimate the effect of school-age children in modelling studies of transmission of infections. New approaches are needed to quantify contacts within schools.

Abstract Background Perennial malaria chemoprevention (PMC) is a chemoprevention strategy endorsed by the World Health Organization (WHO) and is increasingly being adopted by National Malaria Programmes. PMC aims to reduce morbidity and mortality caused by malaria and anaemia in in young children through provision of antimalarial drugs at routine contact points with the local health system. This study aims to evaluate the impact of the programmatically-implemented country-tailored PMC programmes targeting children up to two years of age using sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP) on the incidence of malaria and anaemia in children in Cameroon and Côte d’Ivoire. Methods We will assess the impact of PMC using passive and active monitoring of a prospective observational cohort of children up to 36 months of age at recruitment in selected study sites in Cameroon and Côte d’Ivoire. The primary and secondary outcomes include malaria, anaemia and malnutrition incidence. We will also conduct a time-series analysis of passively detected malaria and anaemia cases comparing the periods before and after PMC introduction. This study is powered to detect a 30% and 40% reduction of malaria incidence compared to the standard of care in Cameroon and Côte d’Ivoire, respectively. Discussion This multi-country study aims to provide evidence of the effectiveness of PMC targeting children in the first two years of life on malaria and anaemia and will provide important information to inform optimal operationalization and evaluation of this strategy. Trial Registration Cameroon - NCT05889052; Côte d’Ivoire - NCT05856357.

Background Malaria and curable sexually transmitted and reproductive tract infections (STIs/RTIs) are important causes of adverse birth outcomes. HIV has been associated with STIs/RTIs and malaria infection. The study objectives were to estimate the prevalence of malaria and STIs/RTIs and to identify risk factors for infection in rural Zambia. Methods A total of 1,086 pregnant women were enrolled at antenatal care booking, socio-demographic information and biological samples were collected for diagnosis of malaria, STIs/RTIs and routine HIV testing. Results Participants had a mean age of 25.6 years. The prevalence of HIV was 13.2% (95% confidence interval [CI], 11.3, 15.3) and the highest burden was in multigravidae (15.9%) followed by secundigravidae (13.9%) and was lowest in primigravidae (8.0%), P = 0.018. Of 1084 women, 700 had at least one STI/RTI (95% CI, 64.6%; 95%, 61.7, 67.4). The prevalence of STIs/RTIs was as follows: chlamydia 5.2%, (95% CI, 4.0, 6.6); gonorrhoea 3.1% (95% CI, 2.2, 4.4); trichomoniasis 24.8% (95% CI, 22.3, 27.5); bacterial vaginosis 48.7% (95% CI, 45.2, 51.2) and syphilis 7.1% (95% CI, 5.6, 8.7). The malaria prevalence measured by PCR was 57.8% (95% CI, 54.9, 60.8). HIV infection was associated with having gonorrhoea, (aOR = 2.80; 95% CI: 1.25, 6.26); bacterial vaginosis (aOR = 2.41; 95% CI: 1.66, 3.51); syphilis infection (aOR = 2.56; 95% CI: 1.48, 4.41); having any STIs/RTIs (aOR = 2.10; 95% CI: 1.39, 3.19) and malaria infection (aOR = 1.46; 95% CI 1.00–2.13, P = 0.045). Conclusion HIV infection plays an important role in the prevalence of malaria and STIs/RTIs although it’s effect on malaria prevalence in this population was neutralised by its concentration in multigravidae who have acquired immunity against malaria. Preventive and control efforts against malaria and STIs/RTIs should be targeted at the groups that needs them most in resource limited settings.

Background The World Health Organization recommends the provision of intermittent preventive treatment during pregnancy (IPTp) with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP) at 4-week intervals from gestational week 13 to delivery in areas of moderate to high malaria transmission intensity. However, the effect of IPTp-SP has been compromised in some areas due to parasite resistance, raising the importance of parasitological and chemoprophylactic surveillance, and monitoring SP-resistance markers in the Plasmodium falciparum population. Methods Between November 2013 and April 2014 in Nchelenge, Zambia, 1086 pregnant women received IPTp-SP at antenatal-care bookings. Blood samples were collected on day 0, and on day 28 post-treatment to test for malaria parasites and to estimate SP parasitological efficacy in the treatment and prevention of parasitaemia. A random sample of 96, day 0 malaria-positive samples were analysed to estimate the prevalence of SP-resistance markers in the P. falciparum population. Results The overall parasitological and prophylactic failure among women who had paired day 0 and day 28 blood slides was 18.6% (95% CI 15.5, 21.8; 109 of 590). Among pregnant women who had asymptomatic parasitaemia on day 0, the day 28 PCR-uncorrected parasitological failure was 30.0% (95% CI 23.7, 36.2; 62 of 207) and the day 28 PCR-corrected parasitological failure was 15.6% (95% CI: 10.6, 20.6; 32 of 205). Among women who tested negative at day 0, 12.3% (95% CI: 9.0, 15.6; 47 of 383) developed parasitaemia at day 28. Among the 96 malaria-positive samples assayed from day 0, 70.8% (95% CI: 60.8, 79.2) contained the DHPS double (Gly-437 + Glu-540) mutation and 92.7% (95% CI: 85.3, 96.5) had the DHFR triple (Asn-108 + Ile-51 + Arg-59) mutation. The quintuple mutation (DHFR triple + DHPS double) and the sextuple mutant (DHFR triple + DHPS double + Arg-581) were found among 68.8% (95% CI: 58.6, 77.3) and 9.4% (95% CI: 4.2, 16.0) of samples, respectively. Conclusion The parasitological and chemoprophylactic failure of SP, and the prevalence of resistance markers in Nchelenge is alarmingly high. Alternative therapies are urgently needed to safeguard pregnant women against malarial infection.

Background This study estimated the prevalence of curable sexually transmitted and reproductive tract infections (STIs/RTIs) among pregnant women attending antenatal care (ANC) in rural Zambia and evaluated the effectiveness of syndromic management of STIs/RTIs versus reference-standard laboratory diagnoses. Methods This was an observational cross-sectional study of 1,086 pregnant women. Participants were enrolled at ANC booking, socio-demographic information and biological samples were collected, and the provision of syndromic management based care was documented. The Piot-Fransen model was used to evaluate the effectiveness of syndromic management versus etiological testing. Results Participants had a mean age of 25.6 years and a mean gestational age of 22.0 weeks. Of 1084 women, 700 had at least one STI/RTI (64.6%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 61.7, 67.4). Only 10.2% of infected women received any treatment for a curable STI/RTI (excluding syphilis). Treatment was given to 0 of 56 women with chlamydia (prevalence 5.2%; 95% CI, 4.0, 6.6), 14.7% of participants with gonorrhoea (prevalence 3.1%; 95% CI, 2.2, 4.4), 7.8% of trichomoniasis positives (prevalence 24.8%; 95% CI, 22.3, 27.5); 7.5% of women with bacterial vaginosis (prevalence 48.7%; 95% CI, 45.2, 51.2). An estimated 7.1% (95% CI, 5.6, 8.7) of participants had syphilis and received treatment. Conclusions Curable STIs/RTIs were common and the majority of cases were undetected and untreated. Alternative approaches are urgently needed in the ANC setting in rural Zambia.

Background This study estimated the prevalence of curable sexually transmitted and reproductive tract infections (STIs/RTIs) among pregnant women attending antenatal care (ANC) in rural Zambia, evaluated the effectiveness of syndromic management of STIs/RTIs versus reference-standard laboratory diagnoses, and identified determinants of curable STIs/RTIs during pregnancy. Methods A total of 1086 pregnant women were enrolled at ANC booking, socio-demographic information and biological samples were collected, and the provision of syndromic management based care was documented. The Piot-Fransen model was used to evaluate the effectiveness of syndromic management versus etiological testing, and univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to identify determinants of STIs/RTIs. Results Participants had a mean age of 25.6 years and a mean gestational age of 22.0 weeks. Of 1084 women, 700 had at least one STI/RTI (64.6%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 61.7, 67.4). Only 10.2% of infected women received any treatment for a curable STI/RTI (excluding syphilis). Treatment was given to 0 of 56 women with chlamydia (prevalence 5.2%; 95% CI, 4.0, 6.6), 14.7% of participants with gonorrhoea (prevalence 3.1%; 95% CI, 2.2, 4.4), 7.8% of trichomoniasis positives (prevalence 24.8%; 95% CI, 22.3, 27.5) and 7.5% of women with bacterial vaginosis (prevalence 48.7%; 95% CI, 45.2, 51.2). An estimated 7.1% (95% CI, 5.6, 8.7) of participants had syphilis and received treatment. Women < 20 years old were more likely (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 5.01; 95% CI: 1.23, 19.44) to have gonorrhoea compared to women ≥30. The odds of trichomoniasis infection were highest among primigravidae (aOR = 2.40; 95% CI: 1.69, 3.40), decreasing with each subsequent pregnancy. Women 20 to 29 years old were more likely to be diagnosed with bacterial vaginosis compared to women ≥30 (aOR = 1.58; 95% CI: 1.19, 2.10). Women aged 20 to 29 and ≥ 30 years had higher odds of infection with syphilis, aOR = 3.96; 95% CI: 1.40, 11.20 and aOR = 3.29; 95% CI: 1.11, 9.74 respectively, compared to women under 20. Conclusions Curable STIs/RTIs were common and the majority of cases were undetected and untreated. Alternative approaches are urgently needed in the ANC setting in rural Zambia.

Background Malaria during pregnancy may result in unfavourable outcomes in both mothers and their foetuses. This study sought to document the current burden and factors associated with malaria and anaemia among pregnant women attending their first antenatal clinic visit in an area of Ghana with perennial malaria transmission. Methods A total of 1655 pregnant women aged 18 years and above with a gestational age of 13–22 weeks, who attended an antenatal care (ANC) clinic for the first time, were consented and enrolled into the study. A structured questionnaire was used to collect socio-demographic and obstetric data and information on use of malaria preventive measures. Venous blood (2 mL) was collected before sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine administration. Malaria parasitaemia and haemoglobin concentration were determined using microscopy and an automated haematology analyser, respectively. Data analysis was carried out using Stata 14. Results Mean age (SD) and gestational age (SD) of women at enrolment were 27.4 (6.2) years and 16.7 (4.3) weeks, respectively. Overall malaria parasite prevalence was 20.4% (95% CI 18.5–22.4%). Geometric mean parasite density was 442 parasites/µL (95% CI 380–515). Among women with parasitaemia, the proportion of very low (1–199 parasites/µL), low (200–999 parasites/µL), medium (1000–9999 parasites/µL) and high (≥ 10,000 parasites/µL) parasite density were 31.1, 47.0, 18.9, and 3.0%, respectively. Age ≥ 25 years (OR 0.57, 95% CI 0.41–0.79), multigravid (OR 0.50, 95% CI 0.33–0.74), educated to high school level or above (OR 0.53, 95% CI 0.33–0.83) and in household with higher socio-economic status (OR 0.34, 95% CI 0.21–0.54) were associated with a lower risk of malaria parasitaemia. The prevalence of anaemia (< 11.0 g/dL) was 56.0%, and the mean haemoglobin concentration in women with or without parasitaemia was 9.9 g/dL or 10.9 g/dL, respectively. Conclusion One out of five pregnant women attending their first ANC clinic visit in an area of perennial malaria transmission in the middle belt of Ghana had Plasmodium falciparum infection. Majority of the infections were below 1000 parasites/µL and with associated anaemia. There is a need to strengthen existing malaria prevention strategies to prevent unfavourable maternal and fetal birth outcomes in this population.

Aedes aegypti transmitted arboviral diseases are of significant importance in Colombia, particularly since the 2014/2015 introduction of chikungunya and Zika in the Americas and the increasing spread of dengue. In response, the Colombian government initiated the scaling-up of a community-based intervention under inter and multi-sector partnerships in two out of four sectors in Girardot, one of the most hyper-endemic dengue cities in the country. Using a quasi-experimental research design a scaled-up community-led Aedes control intervention was assessed for its capacity to reduce dengue from January 2010 to August 2017 in Girardot, Colombia. Reported dengue cases, and associated factors were analysed from available data sets from the Colombian disease surveillance systems. We estimated the reduction in dengue cases before and after the intervention using, Propensity Score Matching and an Autoregressive Moving Average model for robustness. In addition, the differences in dengue incidence among scaling-up phases (pre-implementation vs sustainability) and between treatment groups (intervention and control areas) were modelled. Evidence was found in favour of the intervention, although to maximise impact the scaling-up of the intervention should continue until it covers the remaining sectors. It is expected that a greater impact of the intervention can be documented in the next outbreak of dengue in Girardot.

This study evaluated intermittent screening and treatment during pregnancy (ISTp) for malaria using rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) at antenatal care (ANC) compared with passive case detection within the routine health system. The mixed-method evaluation included two cross-sectional household surveys (pre- and post-implementation of ISTp), in-depth interviews with health workers, and focus group discussions (FGDs) with pregnant women. Differences in proportions between surveys for a number of outcomes were tested; 553 and 534 current and recently pregnant women were surveyed (pre- and post-implementation, respectively). In-depth interviews were conducted with 29 health providers, and 13 FGDs were held with pregnant women. The proportion of pregnant women who received an RDT for malaria at ANC at least once during their pregnancy increased from pre- to post-implementation (19.2%; 95% CI: 14.9, 24.3 versus 42.5%; 95% CI: 36.6, 48.7; P < 0.0001), and the proportion of women who had more than one RDT also increased (16.5%; 95% CI: 13.1, 20.5 versus 27.7%; 95% CI: 23.0, 33.0; P = 0.0008). Post-implementation, however, only 8% of women who had completed their pregnancy received an RDT on three visits to ANC. Health workers were positive about ISTp mainly because of their perception that many pregnant women with malaria were asymptomatic. Health workers perceived pregnant women to have reservations about ISTp because of their dislike of frequent blood withdrawal, but pregnant women themselves were more positive. Intermittent screening and treatment during pregnancy was not sufficiently adopted by health workers to ensure the increased detection of malaria infections achievable with this strategy in this setting.

Background Intermittent preventive treatment in pregnancy (IPTp) with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP) is recommended for preventing malaria in pregnancy in areas of moderate-to-high transmission in sub-Saharan Africa. However, due to increasing parasite resistance to SP, research on alternative strategies is a priority. The study assessed the implementation feasibility of intermittent screening and treatment (ISTp) in the second and third trimester at antenatal care (ANC) with malaria rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) and treatment of positive cases with dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine (DP) compared to IPTp-SP in western Kenya. Methods A 10-month implementation study was conducted in 12 government health facilities in four sub-counties. Six health facilities were assigned to either ISTp-DP or IPTp-SP. Evaluation comprised of facility audits, ANC observations, and exit interviews. Intermediate and cumulative effectiveness analyses were performed on all processes involved in delivery of ISTp-DP including RDT proficiency and IPTp-SP ± directly observed therapy (DOT, standard of care). Logistic regression was used to identify predictors of receiving each intervention. Results A total of 388 and 389 women were recruited in the ISTp-DP and IPTp-SP arms, respectively. For ISTp-DP, 90% (289/320) of eligible women received an RDT. Of 11% (32/289) who tested positive, 71% received the correct dose of DP and 31% the first dose by DOT, and only 6% were counselled on subsequent doses. Women making a sick visit and being tested in a facility with a resident microscopist were more likely to receive ISTp-DP (AOR 1.78, 95% CI 1.31, 2.41; and AOR 3.75, 95% CI 1.31, 2.40, respectively). For IPTp-SP, only 57% received a dose of SP by DOT. Payment for a laboratory test was independently associated with receipt of SP by DOT (AOR 6.43, 95% CI 2.07, 19.98). Conclusions The findings indicate that the systems effectiveness of ANC clinics to deliver ISTp-DP under routine conditions was poor in comparison to IPTp-SP. Several challenges to integration of ISTp with ANC were identified that may need to be considered by countries that have introduced screening at first ANC visit and, potentially, for future adoption of ISTp with more sensitive RDTs. Understanding the effectiveness of ISTp-DP will require additional research on pregnant women’s adherence to ACT.

BackgroundThe control of malaria in pregnancy (MiP) in India relies on testing women who present with symptoms or signs suggestive of malaria. We hypothesised that intermittent screening and treatment for malaria at each antenatal care visit (ISTp) would improve on this approach and reduce the adverse effects of MiP.MethodsA cluster randomised controlled trial comparing ISTp versus passive case detection (PCD) was conducted in Jharkhand state. Pregnant women of all parities with a gestational age of 18–28 weeks were enrolled. Women in the ISTp group were screened with a rapid diagnostic test (RDT) for malaria at each antenatal clinic visit and those in the PCD group were screened only if they had symptoms or signs suggestive of malaria. All RDT positive women were treated with artesunate/sulfadoxine–pyrimethamine. The primary endpoint was placental malaria, determined by placental histology, and the key secondary endpoints were birth weight, gestational age, vital status of the newborn baby and maternal anaemia.ResultsBetween April 2012 and September 2015, 6868 women were enrolled; 3300 in 46 ISTp clusters and 3568 in 41 PCD clusters. In the ISTp arm, 4.9% of women were tested malaria positive and 0.6% in the PCD arm. There was no difference in the prevalence of placental malaria in the ISTp (87/1454, 6.0%) and PCD (65/1560, 4.2%) groups (6.0% vs 4.2%; OR 1.34, 95% CI 0.78 to 2.29, p=0.29) or in any of the secondary endpoints.ConclusionISTp detected more infections than PCD, but monthly ISTp with the current generation of RDT is unlikely to reduce placental malaria or impact on pregnancy outcomes. ISTp trials with more sensitive point-of-care diagnostic tests are needed.

Dofiles, ready-for-analysis data used in the analysis published in the Final Report to 3ie on the project, "Impacts of IRC’s Fifth Child community engagement strategy to increase immunisation in northern Uganda" (project code TW10.1018). This project was funded as part of the Innovations in Increasing Immunisation Thematic Window round.

Indonesia introduced single screening and treatment (SST) of pregnant women for the control of malaria in pregnancy in 2012. Under this policy pregnant women are screened for malaria at their first antenatal clinic (ANC) visit and on subsequent visits are tested for malaria only if symptomatic. The implementation of this policy in two districts of Indonesia was evaluated. Cross sectional survey structured observations of the ANC visit and exit interviews with pregnant women were conducted to assess health provider compliance with SST guidelines. Systems effectiveness analysis was performed on components of the strategy. Multiple logistic regression was used to test for predictors of women being screened at their first ANC visit.

In India, the recommended first-line treatment for malaria in the second and third trimester of pregnancy is artesunate + sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (AS+SP). However, data on safety and efficacy of artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) in pregnancy is limited. This study assessed the safety and efficacy of AS+SP and artesunate + mefloquine (AS+MQ) for treatment of Plasmodium falciparum in pregnancy in India.