Training Manual for Preventive Malaria - Ministry of Health

UNIT 3
INTERMITTENT PREVENTIVE TREATMENT
This unit describes the rationale of Intermittent Preventive Treatment, the drug used in Ghana
and the main issues with implementing IPT in Ghana.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
At the end of this unit, the learners will be able to:
1. Define Intermittent Preventive Treatment (IPT)
2. Describe the use of Suphfadoxine-Pyrimethamine (SP) for IPT during pregnancy.
3. Explain the IPT treatment flowchart.
4. List side effects and contraindications of Sulphadoxine Pyrimethamine.
TEACHING / LEARNING METHODS:
Group Discussion
Lecturette
Exercises
Role Plays
DURATION: 4 HOURS
INTRODUCTION
All asymptomatic pregnant women receive regular doses of Sulphadoxine–Pyrimethamine
(SP) as an Intermittent Preventive Treatment (IPT) during the second and third trimesters,
while mothers with signs and symptoms of malaria get prompt treatment according to the
national treatment guidelines.
The IPT with SP should be provided as part of a comprehensive antenatal package with other
drugs like haematinics and anti-helminthics to control maternal anaemia that is highly prevalent
during pregnancy in the country.
3.1: WHAT IS INTERMITTENT PREVENTIVE TREATMENT?
Intermittent preventive treatment (IPT) is based on the use of anti-malarial drugs given in
treatment doses at predefined intervals after quickening to clear a presumed burden of
parasites.
WHY IPT?
Intermittent preventive treatment (IPT) of malaria during pregnancy is based on the
assumption that every pregnant woman living in areas of high malaria transmission has
malaria parasites in her blood or placenta, whether or not she has symptoms of malaria.
In unit 1 section 4, we learnt of the effects of malaria in pregnancy. Malaria infection in the
mother, therefore, increases the risk of:
• Spontaneous abortion
• Stillbirth
• Pre-term birth
• Low birth weight
• Maternal anaemia
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