Intermittent preventive treatment of malaria during pregnancy in central Mozambique.

Problem: New WHO strategies for control of malaria in pregnancy (MiP) recommend intermittent preventive treatment (IPTp), bednet use and improved case management.

Approach: A pilot MiP programme in Mozambique was designed to determine requirements for scale-up.

Local Setting: The Ministry of Health worked with a nongovernmental organization and an academic institution to establish and monitor a pilot programme in two impoverished malaria-endemic districts.

Prevalence and predictors of maternal peripheral malaria parasitemia in central Mozambique.

Malaria infection during pregnancy (MiP) is heterogeneously distributed even in malaria-endemic countries. Program planners require data to facilitate identification of highest-priority populations for MiP control. Using data from two cross-sectional studies of 5,528 pregnant women in 8 neighboring sites in Mozambique, we described factors associated with maternal peripheral parasitemia by using logistic regression.

Lessons learned from bednet distribution in Central Mozambique.

Introduction: Malaria is an important cause of mortality and morbidity in sub-Saharan Africa. Use of insecticide-treated bednets (ITNs) is an important preventive intervention. Selection of the best mechanisms for distribution and promotion of ITNs to vulnerable populations is an important strategic issue.