Health experts in Accra on Friday advocated the implementation of the Intermitted Preventive Treatment in Infants (IPTi) as an intervention to control malaria and reduce infant mortality.
Findings from studies conducted by the Navrongo, Kintampo, Kumasi and Tamale Health Research Institutes of the Ghana Health Service (GHS) presented at the meeting confirmed that IPTi with Supfadoxine-Pyrimethamine (SP) administration would reduce clinical malaria in the first 15 months of life of every child by 25 per cent. There could be 35 per cent reduction in hospitalizations with anaemia.
The dissemination meeting organised by the GHS in collaboration with UNICEF was attended by policy makers, health researchers and donor stakeholders.
Professor John Gyapong, Director of the Health Research Unit of the GHS, noted that IPTi with SP had been found to be very efficacious, safe and cost effective.
He said when the IPTi was implemented in Ghana it would a go a long way to save the lives of infants during their first year of life.
IPTi was introduced for pregnant women and proved successful hence the decision, on the recommended by World Health Organisation (WHO), to extend it to children, who are equally vulnerable since about three-quarters of pre-school in most parts of Africa suffered from anaemia.
He explained that IPTi had not been implemented in any country in Africa though trials had been done showing successful and positive results.
A trial in Tanzania in 2000 demonstrated that an anti malarial drug commonly called Fansidar, also known as SP, could be administered to children at two, three and nine months of age attending vaccination visits.
This resulted in nearly 60 per cent reduction in rates of clinical malaria and a 50 per cent reduction in the severe anaemia compared to those receiving nothing.
Prof. Gyapong said the dossier of evidence, regarding IPTi with SP including efficacy, safety, and interactions with vaccines delivered by the Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI), was currently being reviewed by the WHO to decide whether or not it should recommend IPTi with SP for use in malaria endemic areas in Africa, including Ghana.
He noted that UNICEF in Ghana was collaborating with GHS to operationalise the intervention in the Upper East Region.
"The first year of implementation indicates that IPTi is safe and effective to use as a malaria control intervention and the communities are happy with the intervention."
He noted, however, that challenges that needed to be addressed to ensure its sustainability included the complaints from mothers that their children above two years who did not benefit from this intervention should be given the dose and said that was being addressed.
Dr Andrea Eghan, Coordinator of IPTi Consortium, said a comprehensive research and implementation agenda had been developed to resolve any outstanding scientific questions on whether IPTi was safe and effective to use as a malaria control intervention and move the intervention into policy and practice.