Malaria in Pregnancy
Supporting healthy pregnancies for both mother and baby
Malaria is a major threat to the lives of mothers, fetuses, and infants because pregnancy causes women to lose some of their immunity to malaria. The infection can thus cause anemia in the mother and lead to miscarriage, stillbirth, prematurity, and low birth weight, a leading cause for infant death.
To protect women and their babies from malaria, PMI supports countries in a three-prong approach:
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Providing pregnant mothers with insecticide-treated nets and encouraging them to sleep under them all night, every night
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Ensuring pregnant mothers receive preventive treatment at prenatal visits after the first trimester
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Promptly diagnosing and treating malaria and anemia in pregnant women
To make this possible, PMI works in partnership with national malaria control, reproductive health, and maternal and child health programs to support:
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procurement and strengthening of the supply chain for the medicines, nets, and other essential commodities
- training and supervising health workers on prenatal care
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implementation activities to encourage use of nets and acceptance of the preventative medicine by pregnant women
- global policies on malaria in pregnancy
- operational research to improve intervention coverage
1107, 2024
Taking Action Against Malaria in Pregnancy
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A Mother’s Love: Preventing and Treating Malaria for Pregnant Women
As a mother to three boys, Dr. Chonge Kitojo knows [...]
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Nurturing Health and Hope: A Nurse’s Dedication to Malaria Prevention and Maternal Care in Nigeria
Pregnant women and their babies can be at increased risk for malaria complications. Monica Akyok, a dedicated nurse at one of Nigeria’s health centers, improves the health of pregnant women and their babies by combining malaria treatment and prevention services with prenatal care.