title: Is the Expanded Programme on Immunisation the most appropriate delivery system for intermittent preventive treatment of malaria in West Africa?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the coverage and equity of the Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI) and its effect on age schedule, seasonality of malaria risk, and linked intermittent preventive treatment (IPT) in West Africa.
  
  
  METHODS
  Secondary analyses of data from a trial of IPT in Ghana. The potential effectiveness and impact of EPI-linked IPT in West Africa was calculated using the coverage of Diptheria Pertussis Tetanus vaccination obtained from national surveys and the reported protective efficacies of IPT.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In West Africa, where the transmission of malaria is highly seasonal, only 10% of malaria episodes in infants would be averted with the current coverage of EPI.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this setting, the EPI-linked IPT is not necessarily the most appropriate approach and alternative IPT schedules and delivery systems are needed.
authors.affiliation: London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK. daniel.chandramohan@lshtm.ac.uk
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Chandramohan
authors.forename: Jayne
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Webster
authors.forename: Lucy
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Timothy
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Awine
authors.forename: Seth
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Owusu-Agyei
authors.forename: Ilona
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Carneiro
mesh_terms: D000354:Africa, Western / Q000453:epidemiology; D017677:Age Distribution; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D017589:Immunization Programs / Q000379:methods*; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D008288:Malaria / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D017780:Malaria Vaccines / Q000627:therapeutic use; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology; D012621:Seasons; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D017780:Malaria Vaccines