Research
Malaria in pregnancy in South Africa
Dr Joyce Tsoka
Pregnant women are vulnerable to malaria due to their reduced level of immunity. Malaria in pregnancy is associated with adverse effects such as anaemia, low birth weight (LBW), prematurity, maternal death, stillbirth, miscarriage, and inter-uterine growth retardation (IUGR) and the risk of HIV infection. To prevent these adverse effects, the World Health Organization recommends the use of Intermittent Prevention Treatment (IPT) of malaria by all pregnant women at risk of malaria infection. Most African countries such as Kenya, Tanzania and Malawi have implemented the Intermittent Preventive Treatment (IPT) policy. However, it is not known whether IPT is applicable to South Africa. Furthermore, data on the burden of malaria in South Africa is needed to support implementation of IPT policy. Therefore, this Project was established to determine the burden of malaria and the effects of malaria on birth outcomes in pregnant women who live in malarious areas of South Africa.
Collaborators
Malaria Research Programme, Medical Research Council
Manguzi Hospital, Department of Health, Kwangwanase, KwaZulu-Natal
Mosvold Hospital, Department of Health, Ingwavuma, KwaZulu-Natal
Ndumu Clinic, Department of Health, Ndumu, KwaZulu-Natal
Malaria Control Programmes, Department of Health in KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo
and Mpumalanga Provinces
Funders
Medical Research Council
National Department of Health, South Africa
World Health Organisation, Regional Office for Africa
The prevalence of anaemia in pregnant women and children in the LSDI area of Southern Africa
This Project forms part of the monitoring and evaluation of the malaria situation within the LSDI Malaria Control Programme. The aim is to measure and compare the prevalence of anaemia in pregnant women and children in different zones of the LSDI area with different years of vector control. The focus on pregnant women and children is motivated by the fact that the burden of malaria is high in these groups of the population. Another reason is that malaria infection during pregnancy is associated with well known adverse effects such as anaemia, low birth weight, miscarriage, stillbirth, prematurity, perinatal and maternal mortality. Collection of data on anaemia in the LSDI area (KwaZulu-Natal, Swaziland and Mozambique) will provide an opportunity to compare and assess the impact of the LSDI malaria control intervention in these areas.
The objectives of this study are:
• to determine the prevalence of malaria in pregnant women and children
aged under 15 years.
• to measure the level of anaemia in pregnant women and children aged
under 15 years
Collaborators
The Medical Research Council
The Mozambique Ministry of Health, Mozambique
Malaria Control Programme, Swaziland Ministry of Health, Swaziland
Malaria Control Programme, Department of Health, Jozini, South African
Funders
Global Fund