A drug aimed at reducing the risk of malaria infections in pregnant women living with HIV has shown promising results, according to the Kenya Medical Research Institute (Kemri). The researchers underscore the potential of integrating an antimalarial drug, dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine, into the already existing malaria treatment.
A recent study published at Lancet suggests that this innovative drug treatment holds potential for preventing malaria in pregnancy, particularly among women with HIV in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Malaria poses significant risks to both maternal and new-born health, particularly for pregnant women living with HIV. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that one million women living with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa are also infected with malaria during pregnancy every year.
Malaria poses substantial threats to the health of both mothers and new-borns, especially for pregnant women who are also living with HIV. The World Health Organization (WHO), estimates that approximately one million women with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa contract malaria during pregnancy annually.
Africa bears nearly the entire global burden of malaria, accounting for an estimated 96 per cent of malaria cases and deaths in 2020. Every year, nearly 6.7 million clinical cases of malaria are reported in Kenya, with 70 per cent of the population being at risk.
WHO advocates the daily administration of co-trimoxazole, an antibiotic, to prevent malaria in pregnant women with HIV in regions characterised by high malaria transmission. However, experts say the efficacy of this co-trimoxazole in sub-Saharan Africa is compromised due to the escalating resistance of malaria parasites to the drug.
However, there is positive news. Researchers from Kemri, in collaboration with the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Malawi’s Kamuzu University of Health Sciences, and the Malawi University of Science and Technology, conducted a series of trials to investigate alternative strategies for preventing malaria in pregnant women with HIV.
The trials revealed that, among various antimalarials tested, dihydroartemisinin–piperaquine was the only well-tolerated option that could be considered for malaria prevention. Until now, no suitable alternative or additional preventive treatment had been identified for pregnant women living with HIV.
The researchers conducted a study to evaluate the efficacy of adding monthly dihydroartemisinin–piperaquine to daily co-trimoxazole in preventing malaria infections in women living with HIV, as compared to a control group receiving a monthly placebo alongside daily co-trimoxazole. The trial involved 904 randomly assigned participants.
The trial found that pregnant women who received the combination of monthly dihydroartemisinin–piperaquine to daily co-trimoxazole had 68 per cent less malaria during pregnancy than women who received the standard of care with daily co-trimoxazole alone.
“We celebrate these findings that propose additional arsenal against a disease that risks about 70 per cent of our population. Malaria in pregnancy can cause a host of serious health complications, including miscarriage, stillbirth, pre-term delivery and growth restriction of newborn babies, and co-infection with HIV doubles these risks,” said Kemri CEO Elijah Songok.
