Seasonal Malaria Prevention Campaign for Children Under Five

MARCAD Plus PhD fellow, Soumba Keita, began her research activities, on Thursday July 18, 2024, in the village of Sirakorola, located in the health district of Koulikoro in Mali.

A total of 400 children under the age of five, randomly selected by Soumba Keita and her team, participated in the campaign to assess nutritional status coupled with seasonal malaria chemoprevention. This activity marks the start of field research activities of the PhD fellow.

"The assessment of the nutritional status of children under five years old in the context of seasonal malaria prevention allows us to highlight the impact of nutritional parameters on the effectiveness of seasonal malaria chemoprevention (SMC) in children under five years old. This information aims to inform and alert policymakers about the need for new, evidence-based approaches based on scientific evidence to significantly reduce malaria-related morbidity and mortality" explained Soumba.

Prior to the campaign, Soumba Keita and her team held a meeting with the local authorities of the village of Koulikoro, as well as the parents and/or guardians of the children, to explain her research protocol and the various objectives of the study, particularly the importance of assessing the nutritional status of children living in malaria-endemic areas.

Following parental consent, blood samples were collected from the study participants to measure nutritional parameters, followed by the administration of the SP-AQ.

 "The blood samples were taken to test for Plasmodium and immunological markers associated with malaria in these children" said Soumba Keita.

According to Soumba Keita, the results of Sirakorola's study will serve as factual evidence to convince the authorities to extend these activities to other sites in Mali.

 "We will be able to contribute to the optimization of the SMC in our regions," she emphasized.