Malaria drug safe for pregnant women

A combination drug used in malaria treatment also protects the mother and fetus during pregnancy, a study has established. The study done in Uganda, found that the combination of sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP) and dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine (DP), were safe for use during pregnancy.

“The malaria parasite’s resistance to SP is widespread, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa,” said Abel Kakuru, MD, an epidemiologist with the Infectious Diseases Research Collaboration in Kampala, Uganda, and first author of the paper. The researchers studied 300 women in Tororo, who were in their 16th week of pregnancy where a third of them were given three doses of SP, a third received three doses of DP and a third received monthly doses of DP.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the complications of malaria in pregnancy vary according to transmission intensity in the given geographical area, and the individual’s immunity.

WHO recommends use of insecticidal nets, prompt diagnosis and treatment of malaria infection. Symptoms of the disease are “running nose, fever, headache, sweat, chills and vomiting. Research is underway to develop a vaccine against malaria.