Summary Background Every year, more than 32 million pregnancies in sub-Saharan Africa are at risk of malaria infection and its adverse consequences. The effectiveness of the intermittent preventive treatment with sulfadoxine–pyrimethamine strategy recommended by WHO is threatened by high levels of parasite resistance. We aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of two alternative strategies: intermittent screening with malaria rapid diagnostic tests and treatment of women who test positive with dihydroartemisinin–piperaquine, and intermittent preventive treatment with dihydroartemisinin–piperaquine. Methods We did this open-label, three-group, randomised controlled superiority trial at four sites in western Kenya with high malaria transmission and sulfadoxine–pyrimethamine resistance. HIV-negative pregnant women between 16 and 32 weeks’ gestation were randomly assigned (1:1:1), via computer-generated permuted-block randomisation (block sizes of three, six, and nine), to receive intermittent screening and treatment with dihydroartemisinin–piperaquine, intermittent preventive treatment with dihydroartemisinin–piperaquine, or intermittent preventive treatment with sulfadoxine–pyrimethamine. Study participants, study clinic nurses, and the study coordinator were aware of treatment allocation, but allocation was concealed from study investigators, delivery unit nurses, and laboratory staff. The primary outcome was malaria infection at delivery, defined as a composite of peripheral or placental parasitaemia detected by placental histology, microscopy, or rapid diagnostic test. The primary analysis was by modified intention to treat. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01669941. Findings Between Aug 21, 2012, and June 19, 2014, we randomly assigned 1546 women to receive intermittent screening and treatment with dihydroartemisinin–piperaquine (n=515), intermittent preventive treatment with dihydroartemisinin–piperaquine (n=516), or intermittent preventive treatment with sulfadoxine–pyrimethamine (n=515); 1368 (88%) women comprised the intention-to-treat population for the primary endpoint. Prevalence of malaria infection at delivery was lower in the intermittent preventive treatment with dihydroartemisinin–piperaquine group than in the intermittent preventive treatment with sulfadoxine–pyrimethamine group (15 [3%] of 457 women vs 47 [10%] of 459 women; relative risk 0.32, 95% CI 0.18–0.56; p<0.0001), but not in the intermittent screening and treatment with dihydroartemisinin–piperaquine group (57 [13%] of 452 women; 1.23, 0.86–1.77; p=0.26). Compared with intermittent preventive treatment with sulfadoxine–pyrimethamine, intermittent preventive treatment with dihydroartemisinin–piperaquine was associated with a lower incidence of malaria infection during pregnancy (192.0 vs 54.4 events per 100 person-years; incidence rate ratio [IRR] 0.28, 95% CI 0.22–0.36; p<0.0001) and clinical malaria during pregnancy (37.9 vs 6.1 events; 0.16, 0.08–0.33; p<0.0001), whereas intermittent screening and treatm...

Clara Menéndez and colleagues conducted a randomized controlled trial among HIV-positive pregnant women in Kenya, Mozambique, and Tanzania to investigate the safety and efficacy of mefloquine as intermittent preventative therapy for malaria in women receiving cotrimoxazole prophylaxis and long-lasting insecticide treated nets. Please see later in the article for the Editors' Summary

Background Over the last decade, the Kenyan HIV treatment program has grown exponentially, with improved survival among people living with HIV (PLHIV). In the same period, noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) have become a leading contributor to disease burden. We sought to characterize the burden of four major NCDs (cardiovascular diseases, cancer, chronic respiratory diseases and diabetes mellitus) among adult PLHIV in Kenya. Methods We conducted a nationally representative retrospective medical chart review of HIV-infected adults aged ≥15 years enrolled in HIV care in Kenya from October 1, 2003 through September 30, 2013. We estimated proportions of four NCD categories among PLHIV at enrollment into HIV care, and during subsequent HIV care visits. We compared proportions and assessed distributions of co-morbidities using the Chi-Square test. We calculated NCD incidence rates and their confidence intervals in assessing cofactors for developing NCDs. Results We analyzed 3170 records of HIV-infected patients; 2115 (66.3%) were from women. Slightly over half (51.1%) of patient records were from PLHIVs aged above 35 years. Close to two-thirds (63.9%) of PLHIVs were on ART. Proportion of any documented NCD among PLHIV was 11.5% (95% confidence interval [CI] 9.3, 14.1), with elevated blood pressure as the most common NCD 343 (87.5%) among PLHIV with a diagnosed NCD. Despite this observation, only 17 (4.9%) patients had a corresponding documented diagnosis of hypertension in their medical record. Overall NCD incidence rates for men and women were (42.3 per 1000 person years [95% CI 35.8, 50.1] and 31.6 [95% CI 27.7, 36.1], respectively. Compared to women, the incidence rate ratio for men developing an NCD was 1.3 [95% CI 1.1, 1.7], p = 0.0082). No differences in NCD incidence rates were seen by marital or employment status. At one year of follow up 43.8% of PLHIV not on ART had been diagnosed with an NCD compared to 3.7% of patients on ART; at five years the proportions with a diagnosed NCD were 88.8 and 39.2% ( p < 0.001), respectively. Conclusions PLHIV in Kenya have a high prevalence of NCD diagnoses. In the absence of systematic, effective screening, NCD burden is likely underestimated in this population. Systematic screening and treatment for NCDs using standard guidelines should be integrated into HIV care and treatment programs in sub-Saharan Africa.

Background Rates of pregnancy and HIV infection are high among adolescents. However, their engagement in prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission (PMTCT) services is poorly characterized. We compared engagement in the PMTCT cascade between adult and adolescent mothers in Kenya. Methods We conducted a nationally representative cross-sectional survey of mother–infant pairs attending 120 maternal child health clinics selected by probability proportionate to size sampling, with a secondary survey oversampling HIV-positive mothers in 30 clinics. Antenatal care (ANC) attendance, HIV testing, and antiretroviral (ARV) use were compared between adolescent (age ≤19 years) and adult mothers using χ2 tests and logistic regression. Results Among 2521 mothers, 278 (12.8%) were adolescents. Adolescents were less likely than adults to be employed (16.5% vs. 37.9%), married (66.1% vs. 88.3%), have intended pregnancy (40.5% vs. 58.6%), or have disclosed their HIV status (77.5% vs. 90.7%) (P < 0.01 for all). Adolescents were less likely than adults to attend ≥4 ANC visits (35.2% vs. 45.6%, P = 0.002). This effect remained significant when adjusting for employment, household crowding, pregnancy intention, gravidity, and HIV status [adjusted odds ratio (95% confidence interval) = 0.54 (0.37 to 0.97), P = 0.001]. Among 2359 women without previous HIV testing, 96.1% received testing during pregnancy; testing levels did not differ between adolescents and adults. Among 288 HIV-positive women not on antiretroviral therapy before pregnancy, adolescents were less likely than adults to be on ARVs (65.0% vs. 85.8%, P = 0.01) or to have infants on ARVs (85.7% vs. 97.7%, P = 0.005). Conclusions Adolescent mothers had poorer ANC attendance and uptake of ARVs for PMTCT. Targeted interventions are needed to improve retention of this vulnerable population in the PMTCT cascade.