title: Malaria in pregnancy in the Asia-Pacific region.
abstract: Most pregnant women at risk of for infection with Plasmodium vivax live in the Asia-Pacific region. However, malaria in pregnancy is not recognised as a priority by many governments, policy makers, and donors in this region. Robust data for the true burden of malaria throughout pregnancy are scarce. Nevertheless, when women have little immunity, each infection is potentially fatal to the mother, fetus, or both. WHO recommendations for the control of malaria in pregnancy are largely based on the situation in Africa, but strategies in the Asia-Pacific region are complicated by heterogeneous transmission settings, coexistence of multidrug-resistant Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax parasites, and different vectors. Most knowledge of the epidemiology, effect, treatment, and prevention of malaria in pregnancy in the Asia-Pacific region comes from India, Papua New Guinea, and Thailand. Improved estimates of the morbidity and mortality of malaria in pregnancy are urgently needed. When malaria in pregnancy cannot be prevented, accurate diagnosis and prompt treatment are needed to avert dangerous symptomatic disease and to reduce effects on fetuses.
authors.affiliation: Shoklo Malaria Research Unit, Mae Sot, Tak, Thailand. marcus@shoklo-unit.com
authors.forename: Marcus J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Rijken
authors.forename: Rose
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: McGready
authors.forename: Machteld E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Boel
authors.forename: Rini
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Poespoprodjo
authors.forename: Neeru
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: Din
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Syafruddin
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rogerson
authors.forename: François
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Nosten
mesh_terms: D001210:Asia, Southeastern / Q000453:epidemiology; D001211:Asia, Western / Q000453:epidemiology; D001724:Birth Weight; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016778:Malaria, Falciparum / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D016780:Malaria, Vivax / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D010139:Pacific Islands / Q000453:epidemiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D015597:Pregnancy Complications, Parasitic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control