| dc.description.abstract | Background: Malaria in pregnancy can have devastating consequences for mother and baby. Coverage with the WHO
prevention strategy for sub-Saharan Africa of intermittent-preventive-treatment (IPTp) with two doses of sulphadoxinepyrimethamine (SP) and insecticide-treated-nets (ITNs) in pregnancy is low. We analysed household survey data to evaluate
the effectiveness of antenatal clinics (ANC) to deliver IPTp and ITNs to pregnant women in Nyando district, Kenya.
Methods: We assessed the systems effectiveness of ANC to deliver IPTp and ITNs to pregnant women and the impact on
low birthweight (LBW). Logistic regression was used to identify predictors of receipt of IPTp and ITN use during pregnancy.
Results: Among 89% of recently pregnant women who attended ANC at least once between 4–9 months gestation, 59%
reported receiving one dose of SP and 90% attended ANC again, of whom 57% received a second dose, resulting in a
cumulative effectiveness for IPTp of 27%, most of whom used an ITN (96%). Overall ITN use was 89%, and ANC the main
source (76%). Women were less likely to receive IPTp if they had low malaria knowledge (0.26, 95% CI 0.08–0.83), had a child
who had died (OR 0.36, 95% CI 0.14–0.95), or if they first attended ANC late (OR 0.20, 95% CI 0.06–0.67). Women who
experienced side effects to SP (OR 0.18, CI 0.03–0.90) or had low malaria knowledge (OR 0.78, 95% CI 0.11–5.43) were less
likely to receive IPTp by directly observed therapy. Ineffective delivery of IPTp reduced its potential impact by 231 LBW cases
averted (95% CI 64–359) per 10,000 pregnant women.
Conclusion: IPTp presents greater challenges to deliver through ANC than ITNs in this setting. The reduction in public
health impact on LBW resulting from ineffective delivery of IPTp is estimated to be substantial. Urgent efforts are required to
improve service delivery of this important intervention | en_US |
