Burkina Faso

Malaria is highly seasonal in Burkina Faso, with an estimated 60 percent of malaria cases occurring between July and November. SMC is one method that prevents malaria in children from 3 to 59 months (who are the most at risk of contracting the disease) during the rainy season. SMC is typically administered in four cycles each year between July and October across the Sahel region in concurrence with the rainy season and the period of peak transmission. However, in the south and south-west of Burkina Faso, the rainy season can start as early as June. Consequently, malaria incidence among children can be high even before implementation of the first SMC cycle.

In response to this emerging observation, in 2019 we undertook operational research to assess if extending SMC to five cycles, with cycle one beginning in June, would be feasible and acceptable. This study was conducted in collaboration with the National Malaria Control Programme (NMCP). Together with a stratification exercise conducted through the High Burden to High Impact initiative, it informed their decision to conduct five cycles in specific regions, including the Cascades, as of 2021.