Malaria in Pregnancy
Supporting healthy pregnancies for both mother and baby
Malaria is a major threat to the lives of mothers, fetuses, and infants because pregnancy causes women to lose some of their immunity to malaria. The infection can thus cause anemia in the mother and lead to miscarriage, stillbirth, prematurity, and low birth weight, a leading cause for infant death.
To protect women and their babies from malaria, PMI supports countries in a three-prong approach:
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Providing pregnant mothers with insecticide-treated nets and encouraging them to sleep under them all night, every night
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Ensuring pregnant mothers receive preventive treatment at prenatal visits after the first trimester
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Promptly diagnosing and treating malaria and anemia in pregnant women
To make this possible, PMI works in partnership with national malaria control, reproductive health, and maternal and child health programs to support:
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procurement and strengthening of the supply chain for the medicines, nets, and other essential commodities
- training and supervising health workers on prenatal care
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implementation activities to encourage use of nets and acceptance of the preventative medicine by pregnant women
- global policies on malaria in pregnancy
- operational research to improve intervention coverage
508, 2022
Net Wins for Women and Children in Ghana
Nearly one in four people in Ghana who have received an insecticide-treated net are not using them. Midwife Edith Asare is determined to change that by educating pregnant women and caregivers of young children about the importance of sleeping under a net to protect themselves from potentially deadly mosquito bites.
1506, 2021
Dr. Raj Panjabi’s Opening Remarks on Community Delivery of Preventive Medicine for Pregnant Women
The U.S. President’s Malaria Initiative is a committed partner protecting [...]
909, 2020
Test, Treat, and Track: Strengthening Malaria Response Capabilities in Sierra Leone
Anitta Kamara, a registered nurse, is passionate about fighting malaria [...]
