Malaria and other parasitic co-infections during pregnancy in Ghana: Burden and effect.

Objectives

To ascertain the prenatal parasitic infection prevalence and the factors, including maternal nutrition and socioeconomic factors which contribute to the prevalence of maternal anaemia and incidence of LBW among a cohort of pregnant women attending antenatal care services in the Ashanti and Volta regions of Ghana.

Specific objectives:
a)To determine the burden of malaria, intestinal helminths and schistosomiasis infections and co-infections in the study population.
b)To determine the prevalence of maternal anaemia and incidence of low birth weight and other poor pregnancy outcomes (stillbirths, miscarriages) in the study population.
c)To determine what proportion of maternal anaemia and poor birth outcomes in this population are attributable to malaria, intestinal helminths and schistosomiasis infections and co-infections in pregnancy.
d)To determine the individual level factors including maternal nutrition and socio-demographic factors, which are independently, related to maternal anaemia and poor birth outcomes in the study population.