Malaria

Malaria is a parasitic infestation caused by the protozoa Plasmodium, which is transmitted through the bite of the female anopheles mosquito. Pregnancy results in reduction in cell-mediated immunity. This decreased immunity makes pregnant women more susceptible to malaria than non-pregnant women. The treatment of malaria in pregnancy is determined by the stage of pregnancy at which the disease is diagnosed. In holoendemic areas, artemisin-based combination therapy (ACT) is recommended as the standard preferred treatment to improve efficacy and limit drug resistance. Intermitted preventive treatment in pregnancy is the use of anti-malarial medications at defined intervals during the pregnancy regardless of the presence or absence of confirmed malaria. It is recommended that pregnant women in holoendemic areas sleep under insecticide-treated bed-nets in order to reduce the frequency of mosquito bites during pregnancy. Effective diagnosis and treatment of malaria helps prevent the occurrence of maternal and fetal complications of malaria.