Data Brief: Malaria morbidity in pregnant women in Cameroon – less than 50% of pregnant women receive intermittent preventive treatment

The high morbidity of malaria among pregnant women – around 203 cases per 1,000 inhabitants in Cameroon – is a public health problem in that it is associated with risk factors for both maternal and newborn mortality. Nearly a quarter of pregnant women have been affected by malaria in the last three years. Both programmatic and surveillance data show that 50% of pregnant women receive three doses of Intermittent Preventive Treatment (IPTg), one of the two key strategies for preventing malaria in pregnancy. The training of multi-purpose Community Health Workers (ASCp) to actively seek out those lost to malaria, and targeted awareness-raising on the importance of early antenatal consultations (ANCs), is essential to improve health service coverage. Indeed, the proximity and relationship of trust linking ASCp to the population would make it easier to identify the reasons for dropping out of IPTg on the one hand. On the other hand, the dissemination through them of various awareness-raising messages concerning early prenatal care and compliance with the various doses of IPTg could have a more significant impact on the target population. This community involvement could encourage the prescription of at least three doses of IPTg, thereby reducing maternal morbidity due to malaria, ranging from serious complications to maternal death, and the risk of infant death (low birth weight, prematurity, etc.)

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