Impact of Adherence to Intermittent Preventive Treatment of Malaria on Pregnancy Outcome in Rural Cameroon

Description

Malaria in Pregnancy is a serious public health problem that is linked to maternal and infant morbidity and mortality. Intermittent preventive treatment of malaria in pregnancy with sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine (IPTp-SP) is a key strategy for the control of malaria in pregnancy in malaria endemic areas. In Cameroon, the revised IPTp-SP policy requiring that pregnant women take at least three doses of IPTp-SP was adopted in 2013 but the predictors and impact of adherence to this regimen remained largely unknown in most rural parts of Cameroon. Only one-third of the pregnant women adhered to IPTp-SP. Being married, being knowledgeable about IPTp-SP and attending ≥ 4 antenatal care sessions were statistically significant predictors of adherence to IPTp-SP. Women who adhered to IPTp-SP had higher mean birth weight infants and mean gestation age at delivery. Adherence to IPTp-SP significantly reduced the odds of malaria in pregnancy. The study thus recommends the scaling up adherence to IPTp-SP in the prevention malaria in pregnancy.