Intermittent preventive treatment of pregnant women in Kintampo area of Ghana with sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP): trends spanning 2011 and 2015

Abstract

ObjectiveIn Ghana, intermittent preventive treatment during pregnancy with sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine (IPTp-SP) is recommended for the prevention of malaria-related adverse outcomes. This study demonstrates the coverage of IPTp-SP use among pregnant women over a period (2011–2015) and the impact of various sociodemographic groups on the uptake of IPTp-SP.DesignRetrospective analysis using data from all pregnant women in the Kintampo Health and Demographic Surveillance System area on the uptake of IPTp-SP.SettingKintampo North Municipality and Kintampo South District of Ghana.ParticipantsAll pregnant women in the Kintampo Health and Demographic Surveillance System area.Primary and secondary outcome measuresThe number of doses of IPTp-SP taken by pregnant women were examined. Logistic regression was used to assess the determinant of uptake of IPTp-SP while adjusting for within-subject correlation from women with multiple pregnancies.ResultsData from 2011 to 2015 with a total of 17 484 pregnant women were used. The coverage of the recommended three or more doses of IPTp-SP among all pregnant women was 40.6%, 44.0%, 45.9%, 20.9% and 32.4% in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015, respectively. In the adjusted analysis, age, household size, education, religion, number of antenatal care visits, ethnicity, marital status, wealth index and place of residence were significantly associated with the uptake of three or more doses of IPTp-SP. Having middle school education or higher, aged 20 years and above, visiting antenatal care five times or more (OR 2.83, 95% CI 2.64 to 3.03), being married (OR 1.10, 95% CI 1.02 to 1.19) and those in higher wealth quintiles were significantly more likely to take three or more doses of IPTp-SP.ConclusionThe uptake of the recommended three or more doses of IPTp-SP is low in the study area. We recommend a community-based approach to identify women during early pregnancy and to administer IPTp-SP.

Predictors for the Uptake of Optimal Doses of Sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine for Intermittent Preventive Treatment of Malaria During Pregnancy in Tanzania: Further Analysis of 2015-2016 Tanzania Demographic and Health Survey and Malaria Indicator Survey Data

“…The uptake of three or more doses of SP was reported to be 8% countrywide which is still low than the recommended coverage of 80% from WHO and Roll Back Malaria (RBM) benchmark target (3). This was also observed in several studies conducted in other sub-Saharan countries (20)(21)(22)(23). Hence, the urgent need to plan effective strategies to improve IPTp-SP coverage and uptake in sub-Saharan Africa.…”

“…This is because educated pregnant women could be aware and knowledgeable on the importance and bene ts of using SP for malaria prevention during pregnancy. Similarly, the ndings from Nigeria (24), Malawi (21,25), Ghana (22), and Zimbabwe (23) showed that the knowledge on the SP and on the consequences of not taking IPTp-SP as a facilitator toward the uptake hence the association between education level and the likelihood of the uptake of three or more doses of SP for malaria prevention during pregnancy.…”

A multicenter study of the prevalence and risk factors of malaria and anemia among pregnant women at first antenatal care visit in Ghana

“…ITNs have been shown to reduce maternal malaria parasitemia by 38%, malaria-related anemia by 47%, low birth weight by 23%, miscarriages/stillbirths by 33% and placental parasitemia by 23% [18,19]. Notwithstanding the importance of the WHO recommendations, recent evidence in Ghana suggest that compliance to the use of ITN and IPTp-SP remains low [20][21][22].…”

Using equity lens to explore Malaria Intermittent Preventive Treatment in Nigeria: A Qualitative study

“…In this study, most of the husbands living in the rural community did not know the significance of IPTp which intern to poor support to the women. This finding asserts the importance of awareness creation in the community through media and IPTp campaigns (22). Most of the respondents in the community mentioned that the SP at the PHC units is allegedly sold to patients which the poor can't afford.…”