MATERNAL malaria episode is a common occurrence in pregnancy and one of the concerns of pregnant women in Nigeria is just how best they can prevent or treat malaria. According to guidelines provided by the World Health Organisation, WHO, a pregnant woman should obtain Intermittent Preventive Treatment of Malaria, IPTp, in the form of Sulphadoxine-Pyrimethamine (SP) to reduce maternal and foetal anaemia, prevent placental parasitaemia, low birth weight, and neonatal mortality.
All pregnant women are also expected to recieve iron and
folic acid supplementation as a part of routine antenatal care. However,
growing misconceptions about IPTp in pregnancy persist among women known
to have attended antenatal care clinics, even as public health experts say the
treatment therapy is safe for mothers and their unborn babies.
Intermittent preventive treatment with an antimalarial drug during pregnancy such as sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP) is a cost-effective means of preventing malaria in pregnancy; unfortunately, the uptake has remained low as findings show that only a minority of pregnant women are receiving IPTp as recommended by national guidelines.
Intermittent preventive treatment with an antimalarial drug during pregnancy such as sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP) is a cost-effective means of preventing malaria in pregnancy; unfortunately, the uptake has remained low as findings show that only a minority of pregnant women are receiving IPTp as recommended by national guidelines.
According to the 2015 Malaria Indicator Survey, MIS, only 19
per cent of pregnant women in Nigeria received three doses of IPTp. Studies
identified wrong perceptions as number one reason why Nigeria could not meet
the 80 percent target by the Nigeria government and the World Health
organisation, WHO in 2015. Read more here
News credit :Vanguard
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