Enhanced effect of seasonal malaria chemoprevention when coupled with nutrients supplementation for preventing malaria in children.

Enhanced effect of seasonal malaria chemoprevention when coupled with nutrients supplementation for preventing malaria in children under 5 years old in Burkina Faso: a randomized open label trial.

Paul Sondo, Bérenger Kaboré, Toussaint Rouamba, Eulalie Compaoré, Yssimini Nadège Guillène Tibiri, Hyacinthe Abd-El Latif Faïçal Kaboré, Karim Derra, Marc Christian Tahita, Hamidou Ilboudo, Gauthier Tougri, Ismaïla Bouda, Tikanou Dakyo, Hyacinthe Kafando, Florence Ouédraogo, Eli Rouamba, So-Vii Franck Hien, Adama Kazienga, Cheick Saïd Compaoré, Estelle Bambara, Macaire Nana, Prabin Dahal, Franck Garanet, William Kaboré, Thierry Léfèvre, Philippe Guerin, Halidou Tinto

Malar J

Oct 17, 2023

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Abstract

BACKGROUND: In rural African settings, most of the children under the coverage of Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention (SMC) are also undernourished at the time of SMC delivery, justifying the need for packaging malarial and nutritional interventions. This study aimed at assessing the impact of SMC by coupling the intervention with nutrients supplementation for preventing malaria in children less than 5 years old in Burkina Faso. METHODS: A randomized trial was carried out between July 2020 and June 2021 in the health district of Nanoro, Burkina Faso. Children (n = 1059) under SMC coverage were randomly assigned to one of the three study arms SMC + Vitamin A (SMC-A, n = 353) or SMC + Vitamin A + Zinc (SMC-AZc, n = 353) or SMC + Vitamin A + PlumpyDoz(tm) (SMC-APd, n = 353)-a medium quantity-lipid-based nutrient supplement (MQ-LNS). Children were followed up for one year that included an active follow-up period of 6 months with scheduled monthly home visits followed by 6 months passive follow-up. At each visit, capillary blood sample was collected for malaria diagnosis by rapid diagnosis test (RDT). RESULTS: Adding nutritional supplements to SMC had an effect on the incidence of malaria. A reduction of 23% (adjusted IRR = 0.77 (95%CI 0.61-0.97) in the odds of having uncomplicated malaria in SMC-APd arm but not with SMC-AZc arm adjusted IRR = 0.82 (95%CI 0.65-1.04) compare to control arm was observed. A reduction of 52%, adjusted IRR = 0.48 (95%CI 0.23-0.98) in the odds of having severe malaria was observed in SMC-APd arm compared to control arm. Besides the effect on malaria, this combined strategy had an effect on all-cause morbidity. More specifically, a reduction of morbidity odds of 24%, adjusted IRR = 0.76 (95%CI 0.60-0.94) in SMC-APd arm compared to control arm was observed. Unlike clinical episodes, no effect of nutrient supplementation on cross sectional asymptomatic infections was observed. CONCLUSION: Adding nutritional supplements to SMC significantly increases the impact of this intervention for preventing children from malaria and other childhood infections. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT04238845.