Improving child survival
In 2023 we continued work on two of our key projects aimed at increasing child survival in sub-Saharan Africa. MULTIPLY is a large-scale implementation project in Sierra Leone and Togo to maximise the delivery and uptake of malaria preventive treatment in infants during their first two years of life, by reaching them through the expanded program on immunisation (EPI). To assess the impact of the intervention, we first investigated baseline data of malaria prevalence and preventive treatment coverage for both countries before its implementation (1,2). Regarding ICARIA, we completed the recruitment of almost 20,000 participants for the trial in Sierra Leone, which will test whether providing infants with an antibiotic (azithromycin) in addition to preventive malaria treatment further reduces child mortality.
Preventing malaria in pregnant women
The final results of TIPTOP were published. The multicentre project conducted in four sub-Saharan countries showed that community delivery of preventive malaria treatment to pregnant women (IPTp) is a cost-effective strategy that markedly increased the uptake of IPTp in the districts where it was implemented, without reducing antenatal care attendance or increasing the prevalence of molecular markers associated with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine resistance after three years of implementation (3-5).
Responding to COVID-19
Using a cohort derived from the MAMAH trial, we set up a protocol to investigate the prevalence and impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection on the health of pregnant women and their babies (6). We also organised the final meeting of the STREESCO consortium (Institut de Recherche Clinique and Ministry of Health of Benin, Institut de Recherche pour le Dévéloppement of France and ISGlobal), in which we led the work package on networking and dissemination. The project aimed at strengthening epidemiological surveillance in Benin and Burkina Fasso for an effective response to COVID-19.
References
- Arikawa S et al. Malaria J.
- Fombah AE et al. Malaria J.
- Gonzalez R et al. Lancet Glob Health.
- Figueroa-Romero A at al. Lancet Glob Health.
- Cirera L et al. BMJ Glob Health.
- Figueroa-Romero A et al. BMJ Open.
