GOING LIVE WITH IPTi DURING ROUTINE IMMUNIZATION VISITS

Thursday, 24th of May 2012

GOING LIVE WITH IPTi DURING ROUTINE IMMUNIZATION VISITS

From Africa Health; full text is at

http://www.africa-health.com/articles/may_2012/Malaria.pdf

Excerpts:

“The basic [WHO]recommendation addressed the co-administration of SP-IPTi with DTP2, DTP3 and measles immunisation to infants, through routine EPI in countries in sub-Saharan Africa, in areas:

• with moderate-to-high malaria transmission (Annual Entomological Inoculation Rates ≥10), and

• where parasite resistance to SP is not high – defined as a prevalence of the ‘pfdhps 540’ genetic mutation of <50%.

. . . In Mali, Dicko and colleagues in a large-scale intervention involving over 5000 children during a 2-year period report that, ‘The implementation of the IPTi-SP resulted in a substantial reduction in all-cause mortality in children. The results of this study support the adoption and the implementation of IPTi-SP as malaria control strategy.’18

In the context of malaria control and elimination, no one intervention is applied alone but in combination with others including ITNs and proper case management with ACTs. Now that the tools and guidance are available for implementing IPTi, it is up to countries, or even provinces or states within countries that have high and stable malaria transmission, to adopt and roll out this strategy and save children’s lives.”