title: Field evaluation of the intermittent preventive treatment of malaria during pregnancy (IPTp) in Benin: evolution of the coverage rate since its implementation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Malaria is an important public health problem in Africa. Pregnant women are a vulnerable population and this disease can underlie an increased risk of low-birth weight newborns (< 2500 g); these women therefore need management during pregnancy. This was previously provided by chloroquine treatment, which, because of compliance problems and drug resistance, was replaced by intermittent preventive treatment with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (ITPp-SP) with two single doses taken after 16 weeks of amenorrhea, at least 4 weeks apart. This protocol was recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1998 and was initiated in Benin in 2006 after its political adoption in 2004.A retrospective longitudinal study was conducted in eight maternity hospitals in two geographical areas in Benin (in the south and north). The study investigated 2420 women who gave birth from 2005 to 2009. The antenatal cards of those women were randomly selected over 5 years with the aim of analyzing the IPT coverage in the study's maternity hospitals.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The rate of IPT-SP coverage evolved from 3.7% in 2005 to 87.8% in 2009 for women who had received at least one dose and from 2.7% to 68.4% from 2005 to 2009 for those who had received complete ITP (two doses). Variability in the results was observed depending on the geographical area (north/south) and the type of area (rural/urban).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In total, application of IPT-SP 2-doses has rapidly evolved since 2005, but the objective of 80% IPT coverage has not yet been achieved throughout the country. Moreover, problems of drug shortage recurring in the field (reported by health staff) remain to be resolved.
authors.affiliation: Faculté des Sciences de Santé, Cotonou, Bénin.
authors.forename: Tania C D A
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: d'Almeida
authors.forename: Marie-Agnès
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Agboton-Zoumenou
authors.forename: André
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Garcia
authors.forename: Achille
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Massougbodji
authors.forename: Valérie
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Briand
authors.forename: Yacoubou
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Imorou
authors.forename: Gilles
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cottrell
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000962:Antimalarials / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D001541:Benin; D018890:Chemoprevention / Q000379:methods*; D002648:Child; D004338:Drug Combinations; D004363:Drug Utilization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006302:Health Services Research; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008288:Malaria / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011739:Pyrimethamine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013413:Sulfadoxine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000962:Antimalarials; D004338:Drug Combinations; C001205:fanasil, pyrimethamine drug combination; D013413:Sulfadoxine; D011739:Pyrimethamine