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. 2024 Jan 2;110(2):214-219.
doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.23-0164. Print 2024 Feb 7.

Prevalence of Malaria Infection in Pregnant Women Attending Antenatal Clinics in Southern Senegal

Marie Pierre Diouf  1   2 , Safietou Kande  1 , Mary Aigbiremo Oboh  3 , Isaac Akhénaton Manga  2 , Fassiatou Tairou  2 , Amadou Seck  1 , Abdoulaye Diallo  1 , Aminata Colle Lo  2 , Doudou Sow  2   4 , Khadime Sylla  2 , Magatte Ndiaye  2 , Roger Clément Tine  2 , Babacar Faye  2 , Corinne Merle  5 , Alfred Amambua-Ngwa  6 , Paul Miligan  7 , Jean-Louis Abdourahim Ndiaye  1
Affiliations

Prevalence of Malaria Infection in Pregnant Women Attending Antenatal Clinics in Southern Senegal

Marie Pierre Diouf et al. Am J Trop Med Hyg. .

Abstract

Despite marked progress in Senegal, three regions in the southeast part continue to have a high burden of malaria, but there have been no recent studies assessing the prevalence of malaria associated with pregnancy. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of malaria infection in pregnant women attending antenatal clinics in Senegal. During the malaria transmission season of 2019, pregnant women attending 11 health care facilities for a scheduled visit and those presenting unwell with signs of malaria were invited to participate in a malaria screening study. A finger prick blood sample was taken for malaria diagnosis by rapid diagnosis test (RDT) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). A total of 877 pregnant women were enrolled, 787 for a scheduled antenatal consultation and 90 for an unscheduled consultation with signs of malaria. The prevalence of Plasmodium falciparum among the first group was 48% by PCR and 20% by RDT, and that among the second group was 86% by PCR and 83% by RDT. RDT sensitivity in capturing asymptomatic, PCR-positive infections was 9.2% but ranged from 83% to 94% among febrile women. The prevalence of infection by PCR in women who reported having received at least three doses of sulfadoxine pyrimethamine (SP) was 41.9% compared with 58.9% in women who reported they had not received any SP doses (prevalence ratio adjusted for gravidity and gestational age, 0.54; 95% CI, 0.41-0.73). The burden of P. falciparum infections remains high among pregnant women, the majority of which are not captured by RDT. More effective measures to prevent malaria infection in pregnancy are needed.

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Conflict of interest statement

Disclosure: This study was approved by the Institutional Ethics Committee CER (Comité d’Éthique de la Recherche UCAD; reference number 0404/2019/CER/CAD). Permission was also obtained from the health authorities and community leaders in the different study sites. Signed consent was obtained from each pregnant woman prior to enrollment in the study after the aims and procedures of the study were explained by a clinic nurse. For women unable to read the information sheet, a witness signed to confirm that the information was explained and that the woman agreed to participate.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Study site (MapChart: https://www.mapchart.net/africa-detailed.html; personal data).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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