Description
Background: Children under five in Northern Benin remain highly vulnerable to malaria infection. Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention (SMC), implemented since 2019, shows promise in reducing this burden. However, current malaria funding cuts threaten its future implementation, putting additional children’s lives at risk. In this context, generating evidence about SMC’s effectiveness is crucial to support continued implementation.
Methods: A quasi-experimental analysis has been conducted to evaluate SMC’s impact on malaria morbidity in children under 5 years during 2019-2022. Routine malaria indicators retrieved from the Health Management Information System (HMIS) from six zones with SMC and six control health zones were compared using Generalized Linear Mixed Models (GLMMs) method. Our models estimated the effects of SMC on uncomplicated and severe malaria incidences, accounting for reporting bias across health zones and key environmental factors including rainfall, temperature.
Results: The implementation of four rounds of SMC between 2019 to 2022 was associated with a significant reduction in severe malaria cases across the intervention health zones. Following the SMC implementation, severe malaria cases decreased by an average of 62% (Ratio IRR = 32%, 95% CI: 25- 53%, p<0.001), while no significant changes was observed in the control group. However, the incidence of uncomplicated malaria increased in both groups, but the increase was significantly lower in the SMC group compared to the control. Uncomplicated malaria cases rose by 7.1% in the SMC group and by 32.3% in the control group (Ratio IRR: 68%, 95% CI: 55-84%, p<0.001), suggesting a relative protective effect of SMC on both severe and uncomplicated malaria.
Conclusion: These findings strongly support continuing SMC implementation in Northern Benin, though future research should explore the observed potential disparities between the different health zones.
| Section | Méthodologie |
|---|---|
| Mot-clé 1 | Quasi-experimental design, Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention, Impact, Malaria, Northern Benin. |
