New Strides in Prevention of Malaria during Pregnancy Present Multitudinous Opportunities

Abstract

Pregnant women are at a higher risk of developing complications from malaria, a mosquito-borne disease caused by Plasmodium parasites, resulting in considerable maternal and infant morbidity and mortality. Malaria in pregnancy causes unfavorable and life-threatening outcomes for both the mother and fetus not limited to maternal anemia, hypoglycaemia, cerebral malaria, pulmonary edema, and puerperal sepsis. WHO recommends wideranging strategies for this detrimental but preventable disease; however, numerous challenges persist in ensuring high uptake of preventive therapies, effective usage of insecticide-treated bed nets, and early initiation and optimal antenatal care coverage for pregnant women. This work distils recent global advances in preventive strategies for malaria in pregnancy. We discuss three mainstay interventions by WHO, viz. intermittent preventive treatment of malaria in pregnancy (IPTp), utilization and outcomes of insecticide-treated bed nets (ITNs), and headways in malaria case management using therapeutic drugs. We cover multitudinous facets of antenatal care, WHO-advised community-based delivery of IPTp (c-IPTp), intermittent screening and treatment for malaria in pregnancy (ISTp), a malaria vaccine for pregnant women, and auxiliary factors that are crucial for improving prevention outcomes. Despite the reduction in malaria globally, malaria in pregnancy remains a prevalent issue in endemic areas, which warrants strengthening of preventative strategies. This work attempts to consolidate pivotal observations of the prevention of malaria during pregnancy by highlighting key advances, priority areas, new opportunities, research gaps, and challenges that need to be addressed to ensure improved outcomes in pregnant women infected with malaria.