Malawi 2015-16

12.4 USE OF ITNS BY CHILDREN AND PREGNANT WOMEN
Historically, children under age 5 and pregnant women have been targeted for malaria interventions
because they are at highest risk of morbidity and mortality in highly endemic settings. Fewer than half
(43%) of children under age 5 slept under an ITN the night before the survey (Table 12.8). A similar
percentage of pregnant women (44%) slept under an ITN the night before the survey (Table 12.9).
As expected, ITN use is higher in households with at least one ITN. For example, 69% of children under
age 5 in households with at least one ITN slept under an ITN the night before the survey (Table 12.8).
Similarly, 68% of pregnant women in households with at least one ITN slept under an ITN the night before
the survey (Table 12.9).
Trends: The ITN use among children under age 5
has increased over the years, from 15% in 2004 to
39% in 2010, and 43% in 2015-16. Among pregnant
women, ITN use the night before the survey also
increased from 15% in 2004 to 35% in 2010, and
44% in 2015-16 (Figure 12.7).
Patterns by background characteristics
• Younger children are more likely than other
children to have slept under an ITN the night
before the survey: 55% of children under age 12
months slept under an ITN the night before the
survey, compared with 36% of children age 48-
59 months (Table 12.8).
Figure 12.7 Trends in use of ITNs by
children and pregnant women
Percentage of children under age 5 and
pregnant women that slept under an ITN
the night before the survey
15
15
39
35
Children
Women
43
44
2004 2010 2015-16
• A little more than half (52%) of children in urban areas slept under an ITN, compared with 41% of
children in rural areas.
• Use of ITNs among children under age 5 increased with increasing wealth status. For children under
age 5 in the lowest quintile, only 33% used an ITN the night before the survey compared with 54% of
children in the highest quintile.
• Table 12.9 shows that pregnant women in urban areas are more likely than those in rural areas to have
slept under an ITN the night before the survey (50% versus 43%).
• Only 31% women with no education slept under an ITN the previous night, compared with over half
(54%) of pregnant women with secondary education.
• Thirty-seven percent of pregnant women from the lowest wealth quintile slept under an ITN compared
with 52% of pregnant women in the highest quintile.
12.5 MALARIA IN PREGNANCY
Intermittent preventive treatment (IPTp) during pregnancy
Percentage of women who took at least three doses of SP/Fansidar with at
least one dose received during an ANC visit during their last pregnancy.
Sample: Women age 15-49 with a live birth in the 2 years before the survey
Intermittent preventive treatment of malaria (IPTp) during pregnancy has been the standard of care in
Malawi since 1993. The medicine used for IPTp is sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP) or SP/Fansidar. Until
2010, national policy guidelines for IPTp required a pregnant mother to take at least two treatment doses of
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