Determinants of access to health facilities among under-five children with caregiver-reported fever in the context of seasonal malaria chemoprevention in Togo, 2020-2022.

Background: Malaria is responsible for 580,000 deaths among children under 5, or 95% of all malaria deaths per year globally. Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention (SMC) is a malaria control intervention in Togo and other African countries targeting children under 5 years old during the peak malaria transmission season. Delaying access to healthcare for children with malaria can result in serious health problems, including heightened morbidity and mortality, complications related to cerebral malaria and anemia, as well as impaired cognitive development.

Examination of factors impacting spitting or vomiting among children under 5 years of age during seasonal malaria chemoprevention: a quantitative study in Burkina Faso, Chad, Nigeria and Togo.

Background: Since 2012, the World Health Organization has recommended seasonal malaria chemoprevention (SMC) with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine plus amodiaquine (SPAQ) for children aged 3-⁠59 months in regions where malaria transmission is seasonal. Full ingestion of SMC medicines without spitting or vomiting during a complete 3-day course is critical to ensure effectiveness of SMC medicines and to avoid development of antimalarial resistance. Although evidence suggests that spitting or vomiting is not rare, there is limited analytical evidence on potential factors associated with spitting or vomiting in SMC campaigns.

Impact of seasonal malaria chemoprevention based on the number of medicines doses received on malaria burden among children aged 3-59 months in Nigeria: A propensity score-matched analysis.

Background: Seasonal malaria chemoprevention using sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine plus amodiaquine (sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine plus amodiaquine on Day 1 and amodiaquine on both Day 2 and Day 3) is delivered to children aged 3-59 months in areas of highly season malaria transmission. While the overall population-level impact of seasonal malaria chemoprevention on malaria control has been documented in various countries and time periods, there is no clear evidence regarding seasonal malaria chemoprevention impact based on the number of medicine doses children receive in one cycle in routine programmatic conditions.

Methods: Data were extracted from Nigeria's routinely collected seasonal malaria chemoprevention end-of-round coverage surveys (2021, 2022).

Predictors of accessing seasonal malaria chemoprevention medicines through non-door-to-door distribution in Nigeria.

Background: In Nigeria, seasonal malaria chemoprevention (SMC) is typically administered door-to-door to children under five by community medicine distributors during high transmission seasons. While door-to-door distribution (DDD) is exclusively employed in Nigeria as part of standard operating procedures of SMC programmes, some households access SMC through non-DDD channels, such as fixed-point distributions, health facilities, and private purchase. However, analysis of access to SMC medicines through non-DDD has been limited, with little evidence of its outcomes on adherence to the three-day complete course of SMC medicines and caregiver actions in the event of adverse reactions to SMC medicines.

A quasi-experimental study to estimate effectiveness of seasonal malaria chemoprevention in Aweil South County in Northern Bahr El Ghazal, South Sudan.

Background: Seasonal malaria chemoprevention (SMC) is an effective intervention to prevent malaria in children in locations where the burden of malaria is high and transmission is seasonal. There is growing evidence suggesting that SMC with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine and amodiaquine can retain its high level of effectiveness in East and Southern Africa despite resistance concerns. This study aims to generate evidence on the effectiveness of SMC when delivered under programmatic conditions in an area with an unknown anti-malarial drug resistance profile in the Northern Bahr el-Ghazal region of South Sudan.

Metformin combined with spironolactone vs. metformin alone in polycystic ovary syndrome: a meta-analysis.

Aims: Due to its high heterogenicity and unclear etiology, there is currently no specific treatment for polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Metformin, as an insulin sensitizer, combined with spironolactone, an antiandrogen medication, may exert complementary effects on PCOS. We therefore performed a meta-analysis of trials in which metformin combined with spironolactone was applied to treat PCOS to evaluate the efficacy and safety of the combination therapy.