Last Updated: 01/09/2025

A community-based delivery system of intermittent preventive treatment of malaria in pregnancy in Uganda

Objectives

This study assessed whether community-based resource persons like traditional birth attendants (TBAs), community reproductive health workers (CRHWs), adolescent peer mobilizers (APMs) and drug-shop owners (DSV) can distribute IPT with SP to pregnant women.

Specific objectives:

To assess new community-based approaches for delivering malaria prevention to pregnant women in Uganda;
To assess community perceptions, beliefs and practices associated with malaria treatment and prevention in pregnancy;
To assess whether TBAs, CRHWs, APMs and DSVs can administer IPT with SP to pregnant women at a community level;
To assess whether TBAs, CRHWs, APMs and DSVs can reach women at most risk of malaria in pregnancy;
To evaluate the impact of community-based distribution of IPT with SP on anaemia in pregnancy and birth outcome;
To assess the acceptability and sustainability of delivering IPT with SP to pregnant women at a community level;
To estimate the cost-effectiveness of the new community-based approaches for delivering malaria prevention interventions to pregnant women.

Principal Institution

Ministry of Health (MOH) Uganda, Uganda

Principal Investigators / Focal Persons

Athony Kabanza Mbonye

Partner Institutions

University of Copenhagen (UCPH), Denmark
DBL-Institute of Health Research and Development, Denmark
London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), United Kingdom

Rationale and Abstract

Malaria is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality among pregnant women in Uganda. Although effective tools for prevention and control of malaria exist, their delivery presents a problem. Intermittent presumptive treatment (IPT) with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP) is effective, yet >60% of women in Uganda do not get it as < 40%, attend antenatal care. Effective ways of delivering IPT with SP to pregnant women at a community level need to be developed. This study assessed whether community-based resource persons like traditional birth attendants (TBAs), community reproductive health workers (CRHWs), adolescent peer mobilizers (APMs) and drug-shop owners (DSV) can distribute IPT with SP to pregnant women.

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00118027

Study Design

Study Type :	Interventional (Clinical Trial)
Allocation:	Non-Randomized
Intervention Model:	Single Group Assignment
Masking:	None (Open Label)
Primary Purpose:	Prevention