Africa > West Africa > Nigeria > Malaria drug could cut women’s risk of other infections

Nigeria: Malaria drug could cut women’s risk of other infections

2017/04/30

A drug used to combat malaria in pregnant women could as well treat sexually transmitted infections (STIs), a study shows.
Results of the study by researchers at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine found that sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine, a medicine recommended during antenatal care visit for intermittent preventive treatment (IPTp) of malaria in pregnant women in malaria-endemic areas could cut the risk of getting STIs such as gonorrhoea, chlamydia, trichomoniasis, and bacterial vaginosis.

“We hope this evidence will support efforts by programme managers and policymakers to scale up the coverage of IPTp-SP.”
Matthew Chico, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine

According to LSHTM researchers, about 880,000 stillbirths and 1.2 million newborn deaths occur each year in Sub-Saharan Africa. Experts say malaria and STIs increase the risk of miscarriage.

The study, published in Clinical Infectious Diseases last month (2 March), was conducted between November 2013 and April 2014 in Nchelenge District of Zambia.

According to the study, women who had two or additional doses of IPTp-SP, compared to zero to one dose, had their risk of contracting malaria reduced by 76 %, while the risk of getting gonorrhoea or chlamydia was reduced by 94 %.
The researchers as well found that women who received two or additional IPTp-SP doses, compared to zero to one dose, had their risk of experiencing stillbirth, low birthweight, preterm delivery or intrauterine increase retardation cut by 45 %. Infographic-Drug used to combat malaria in pregnancy as well protects against STIs

The research lead author, Matthew Chico, associate professor at the UK-based London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, says they sought primarily to estimate the prevalence of co-infection of malaria infection and curable STIs or reproductive tract infections part 1,086 pregnant women who attend antenatal care in rural Zambia.

Chico adds that the study seeks to fill the data gap, as none hitherto existed on the prevalence of co-infection.
“We hope this evidence will support efforts by programme managers and policymakers to scale up the coverage of IPTp-SP,” Chico told SciDev.Net.
Oladoyin Odubanjo, executive secretary, Nigerian Academy of Science (NAS) and chair of the Lagos Chapter of Association of Public Health Physicians of Nigeria, says, “The study only serves to give us additional evidence to what was by presently thought to be so.”

Odubanjo adds: “Giving SP in pregnancy is known to be beneficial in preventing [or] treating malaria in pregnancy. However, it was thought to as well prevent complications from infections and this study adds to the body of proof for that.”
At present, only 25 % of pregnant women receive two or additional doses of IPTp-SP, leaving most pregnant women without protection.

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