Feasibility, acceptability and protective effectiveness of seasonal malaria chemoprevention in Uganda

Authors: Anthony Nuwa, Jimmy Opigo, Maureen Nakirunda, Kevin Baker, David Salandini, Tonny Kyagulanyi, Craig Bonnington, Christian Rassi, Madeleine Marasciulo, Godfrey Magumba, Musa Odongo, Jane Achan, Sol Richardson, Jane Nabakooza, Denis Rubahika, James Tibenderana

SMC with SPAQ is feasible, acceptable and demonstrates good protective effectiveness against malaria morbidity in the Karamoja region.

Given widespread prevalence of markers associated with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP) and amodiaquine (AQ) resistance, seasonal malaria chemoprevention (SMC) has to date not been implemented at scale in east and southern Africa. Effectiveness of SMC in reducing malaria incidence and mortality has been demonstrated in areas of low resistance 
in the Sahel, but its feasibility, acceptability, and protective effectiveness in areas with high resistance are unknown. Malaria Consortium and Uganda’s Ministry of Health conducted an implementation study in the Karamoja region to assess the protective effectiveness of SMC as a complementary malaria control intervention. This involved five monthly cycles of SMC 
delivered to ~85,000 children 3–59 months in May–September 2021.

This poster was presented at the 70th annual meeting of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.