Description
INTRODUCTION-OBJECTIVES: Studies have shown that pregnant women are more susceptible to malaria than their non-pregnant peers and malaria in pregnancy is associated with more severe symptoms and consequences. Pregnant women infected with malaria are at a higher risk of severe anemia and maternal death. Maternal malaria also affects the growth of the fetus, increasing the risk of low birth weight. The World Health Organization recommends the administration of intermittent preventive treatment (IPTp) with sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine in all areas with moderate to high malaria transmission in Africa during routine antenatal care (ANC) as a strategy for the control of malaria during pregnancy and there’s currently insufficient evidence to support a general recommendation for its use outside this region. The study aims to identify barriers to the control of malaria during pregnancy in Africa and proposes strategies to overcome them.
METHOD: A systematic literature review was conducted on Google Scholar and the PubMed database to identify and review papers related to barriers to the control of malaria in pregnancy. Papers were reviewed for intellectual content and those that were found to be irrelevant to the scope of the study were excluded.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: The optimal coverage for the ≥3 doses IPTp regimen amidst several others emerges as a major barrier to the malaria control agenda focused on pregnant women in Africa. To overcome these barriers, there is a need for a functional health system that will implement the proven multi-sectoral strategies at community, regional, and global levels. The WHO framework for the health system is built on six pillars: service delivery; health workforce; health information; medical products, vaccines and technologies; healthcare financing; leadership and governance. These pillars are critical channels for the improvement of maternal health and it is therefore important to evaluate their impact towards the implementation of the IPTp strategy.
CONCLUSION: In summary, this research addresses the key barriers to the control of malaria during pregnancy in Africa. Highlighting the heightened susceptibility and severe consequences associated with maternal malaria, the study emphasizes the suboptimal coverage of the recommended ≥3 doses of IPTp regimen as a major obstacle. A resilient healthcare system is therefore required to overcome these challenges and advance the malaria elimination agenda.
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