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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Recorded presentation

Luis Benavente, MD, MSc¹, Immo Kleinschmidt, PhD², Christopher Schwabe, PhD¹, Miguel Torrez, MD, MSc¹, Brian Sharp, PhD², Adel Chaouch, PhD³, Brian Linder, MD, MPH⁴, Susan Rynard, MPH⁴, Joseph Carter, MS¹, James Kuklinski, MBA⁵, and Josephine Ann Czechowicz⁶. (1) International Division, Medical Care Development Inc, 8401 Colesville Rd Suite 425, Silver Spring, MD 20910, 301-562-1920, lbenavente@mcd.org, (2) Malaria Division, Medical Research Council, 491 Ridge Road, Overport, PO Box 70380, Durban, South Africa, (3) Sustainable Development, Marathon Oil Company, 5555 San Felipe, Houston, TX 77056, (4) Medical Unit, Marathon Ashland Petroleum LLC, 539 South Main St, Findlay, OH 48540, (5) One World Development Group, 5745 SW 75th St #219, Gainsville, FL 32608, (6) School of Medicine, Stanford University, 300 Pasteur Dr, Stanford, CA 94305

Introduction: Since 2004 the Bioko Island Malaria Control Project (BIMCP) has conducted 3 rounds of indoor residual spraying (86% coverage), reducing malarial parasitemia and anemia among children. The BIMCP rolled out Artemisinin-based Combination Therapy and Intermittent Preventive Treatment (IPT) in 2005. Purpose: This study reports on the coverage of other preventive measures aimed to prevent malaria during pregnancy. Methods: The baseline (2004) household survey collected data from 15 sentinel sites [expanded to 18 in 2005]. The 2004 survey asked women that had been pregnant the previous year about bednet use, chemopropylaxis, and iron supplementation during pregnancy. The 2005 survey, before IPT was rolled out, included a Hemoglobin (Hb) test and a rapid test for malarial parasitemia done to women that were found pregnant at the moment of the visit. Cutoff point to define anemia during pregnancy was Hb<11 g/dL. Results: In 2004 (n= 483), 39.7% of women reported they slept under a bednet every night during their last pregnancy, while 85.8% claimed to have had antenatal care. The 2005 survey (n=220 women) found that 76.6% were anemic, and 18.2% had parasitemia. Parasitemic women had 3 times greater risk of being anemic. While 18.4 % said had taken chemopropylaxis, 41.9% said had taken iron supplements during that pregnancy. Iron pills and antimalarial chemopropylaxis failed to protect pregnant women from anemia (p =0.25 and 0.95, respectively). Implication: The BIMCP monitors IPT coverage and adherence, explores covariates, such as dietary intake of iron, consumption of substances interfering with iron absorption, and hookworm infestation.

Learning Objectives:

• List preventive measures against malaria and malaria-associated anemia during pregnancy.

Keywords: Anemia, Prenatal Care

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No

Recorded presentation