title: Impact of intermittent preventive treatment with sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine targeting the transmission season on the incidence of clinical malaria in children in Mali.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Recent studies have shown that intermittent preventive malaria treatment (IPT) in infants in areas of stable malaria transmission reduces malaria and severe anaemia incidence. However in most areas malaria morbidity and mortality remain high in older children.
  
  
  METHODS
  To evaluate the effect of seasonal IPT with sulphadoxine pyrimethamine (SP) on incidence of malaria disease in area of seasonal transmission, 262 children 6 months-10 years in Kambila, Mali were randomized to receive either IPT with SP twice at eight weeks interval or no IPT during the transmission season of 2002 and were followed up for 12 months. Subjects were also followed during the subsequent transmission season in 2003 to assess possible rebound effect. Clinical malaria cases were treated with SP and followed to assess the in vivo response during both periods.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The incidence rate of malaria disease per 1,000 person-months during the first 12 months was 3.2 episodes in the treatment group vs. 5.8 episodes in the control group with age-adjusted Protective Efficacy (PE) of 42.5%; [95% CI 28.6%-53.8%]. When the first 16 weeks of follow up is considered age-adjusted PE was 67.5% [95% CI 55.3% - 76.6%]. During the subsequent transmission season, the incidence of clinical malaria per 1000 persons-days was similar between the two groups (23.0 vs 21.5 episodes, age-adjusted IRR = 1.07 [95% CI, 0.90-1.27]). No significant difference was detected in in vivo response between the groups during both periods.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Two malaria intermittent treatments targeting the peak transmission season reduced the annual incidence rate of clinical malaria by 42.5% in an area with intense seasonal transmission. This simple strategy is likely to be one of the most effectives in reducing malaria burden in such areas.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Clinicaltrials.gov NCT00623155.
authors.affiliation: Malaria Research and Training Center, Departments of Epidemiology of Parasitic Diseases, Faculty of Medicine Pharmacy and Dentistry, University of Bamako, P.O. Box 1805, Bamako, Mali. adicko@mrtcbko.org
authors.forename: Alassane
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dicko
authors.forename: Issaka
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Sagara
authors.forename: Mahamadou S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Sissoko
authors.forename: Ousmane
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Guindo
authors.forename: Abdoulbaki I
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Diallo
authors.forename: Mamady
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kone
authors.forename: Ousmane B
authors.initials: OB
authors.lastname: Toure
authors.forename: Massambou
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sacko
authors.forename: Ogobara K
authors.initials: OK
authors.lastname: Doumbo
mesh_terms: D000962:Antimalarials / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004338:Drug Combinations; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D008288:Malaria / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000635:transmission; D008302:Mali / Q000453:epidemiology; D011739:Pyrimethamine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012621:Seasons; D013413:Sulfadoxine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000962:Antimalarials; D004338:Drug Combinations; C001205:fanasil, pyrimethamine drug combination; D013413:Sulfadoxine; D011739:Pyrimethamine