Advertisement
"These results confirm the potential for IPTi using SP, which can beeasily and rapidly implemented via existing WHO immunisation programmes,saving tens of thousands of lives every year across Africa", commented DrPedro Alonso, a principal investigator and head of the Secretariat at theBarcelona Centre for International Health Research, Hospital Clinic,University of Barcelona, Spain. "IPTi provides a valuable addition to effortsto fight malaria and so international policy-makers and heads of nationalMalaria Control Programmes should consider its immediate adoption andintegration into existing programmes," he added.
Advertisement
Organised by the IPTi Consortium and supporting partners - a uniquecollaboration of more than 20 organisations in Africa, Europe and the UnitedStates - the pooled analysis of six randomised, placebo-controlled trials ofIPTi-SP in Africa provides the best evidence to date that this approach iseffective in preventing malaria in infants. The study analysed results fromnearly 8,000 infants, in four African countries, over nine years, between1999-2008. The efficacy results were re-analysed by the statistician of eachof the six trials, and an independent panel made up of experts in safety andpharmacovigilance in Africa conducted an analysis of the safety. The IPTiConsortium is supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Malaria represents an important public health burden in Africa,disproportionately affecting the youngest and most vulnerable. Of the 247million cases of malaria worldwide in 2006, 86% occurred in Africa.(ii)African infants are most at risk of the worst forms of malaria, every 30seconds an African child dies from malaria.(iv)
About IPTi
IPTi is the administration of an anti-malarial tablet to infants, two orthree times in the first year of life, deliverable alongside establishedvaccination programmes such as WHO's Expanded Programme for Immunisation. Itis inexpensive (each dose costs between USD $0.13 - $0.23)(v,vi) and costeffective. IPTi with SP has been reviewed by a committee of the US NationalAcademy of Sciences' Institute of Medicine and the World HealthOrganization's Technical Expert Group - these committees recommend that itshould be considered for implementation in areas of moderate to high levelsof malaria transmission and low to moderate levels of parasite resistance toSP.(vii,viii)
Complete release with references may be found onhttp://www.ipti-malaria.org
SOURCE IPTi Consortium
