INTEGRATION Spotlights

Did you know that the prevalence of P. falciparum infection is high in the first trimester of pregnancy and associated with adverse effects for the woman and her baby?

Dr. Valérie Briand (IRD, Epicentre)

Malaria in the first half of pregnancy is harmful for both the mother and her fetus. Indeed, contracting P. falciparum infection in the first trimester of pregnancy increases the risk of developing maternal anemia in the third trimester of pregnancy. In addition, this period may be a high-risk period for the fetus if pregnancy-associated malarial parasites accumulate into the placenta during trophoblast differentiation and vascular remodeling of the uterus.

Did you know the burden of malaria in pregnancy in sub-Saharan African countries?

Prof. Kassoum Kayentao (USTTB)

Malaria continues to be a major health problem in low and middle-income countries. Pregnant women and children under five years of age are the most vulnerable group affected by malaria. Each year, approximately 46 million pregnant women are at risk of malaria infection in sub-Saharan Africa and the burden of malaria is increasing year by year.

Did you know that WHO recommended R21/Matrix-M as new malaria vaccine for malaria prevention in children?

Prof. Halidou Tinto (CNRST/IRSS)

R21/ Matrix-M is the second malaria vaccine developed, already recommended by the WHO for malaria prevention in children. It targets pre-erythrocytic parasite stages of P. falciparum and has an efficacy of 75% against the efficacy of the previous vaccine RTS,S/AS01 equal to 30-40%. To date, the R21/Matrix-M vaccine has been licensed for use in Ghana, Nigeria and Burkina Faso.