Risk of malaria in children who are no longer eligible for Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention (SMC) or seasonal vaccination in Burkina Faso and Mali (SEVR-SMC)

Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease. Current effective malaria control tools include seasonal malaria chemoprevention (SMC), which is tailored for the countries of the Sahel and Sub Sahel. This strategy involves doses of sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine plus amodiaquine once monthly over the highest malaria transmission period. SMC has the ability to clear a current infection and to prevent the acquisition of a new one. This sustained suppression of the parasite’s presence in the body may slow down the development of an effective immune response to combat the infection. In research studies in which the intervention was given over only a short period of time (no more than two transmission seasons), there was no consistent evidence of this impairment; some studies found a slight effect, whilst others failed to find any. However, in programs in which the intervention is given many times (children born while the intervention is being deployed will receive SMC from the age of 3 months up to 5 years each malaria transmission season without interruption), such crucial information is missing and it is important to evaluate this potential “rebound effect” to alert policymakers to this potential threat as several million children are being treated currently with SMC. To investigate the issue of rebound the researchers will conduct two studies (one for uncomplicated malaria and one for severe malaria). Two community controls will be recruited for each case in the uncomplicated malaria study while two community and two hospital controls will be recruited for each case in the severe malaria study. The participants will all be interviewed with regard to their use of long-lasting insecticide-treated nets (LLINs), their socio-economic status, SMC history, and housing. 

• Primary study design: Observational
• Secondary study design: Nested case-control study
• Study setting(s): Hospital
• Trial type: Prevention

ISRCTN detailsProject details

Drug-based Strategies
Vulnerable Populations

Jul 2021 — Dec 2024

$890,835

Burkina Faso
Mali

Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention (SMC)