Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention (SMC)
This is an active Deep Dive and we welcome your contributions! If you are currently involved or planning research activities on Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention (SMC) please contact MESA (mesa@isglobal.org) or add your project to the database.
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In 2019 MESA produced a compilation to facilitate the discussions at the WHO technical consultation to review the role of drugs in malaria prevention for people living in endemic settings, which aimed to describe the landscape of ongoing and recently closed research in Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention (SMC) and provide an overview of the projects’ main characteristics (ref). The technical consultation identified the need to develop broader and more flexible guidance to enable adaptation according to the needs of different countries and settings.
In June 2022, WHO updated the recommendations for malaria chemoprevention among children and pregnant women which supported the broader use of chemoprevention among young children at high risk of severe malaria in areas with both seasonal and year-round transmission (ref). This preventive chemotherapy included intermittent preventive treatment of infants, school children and pregnant women, seasonal malaria chemoprevention, post-discharge malaria chemoprevention and mass drug administration. The updated recommendation on SMC veered to a more adaptable modality without any geographical and age restrictions.
The SMC Deep Dive (DD) was originally created in 2019 and the update began in 2023 in collaboration with the Malaria Consortium to map out the global distribution of SMC research and investments. It aims to help bring forth the research gaps and areas receiving investments to aid in setting research priorities regarding SMC in the years to come.
