Dihydroartemisinin-Piperaquine Chemoprevention and Malaria Incidence After Severe Flooding: Evaluation of a Pragmatic Intervention in Rural Uganda

Abstract

Malaria epidemics are a well-described phenomenon after extreme precipitation and flooding. Yet, few studies have examined mitigation measures to prevent post-flood malaria epidemics. We evaluated a malaria chemoprevention program implemented in response to severe flooding in western Uganda. Children aged ≤12 years from 1 village were eligible to receive 3 monthly rounds of dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine (DP). Two neighboring villages served as controls. Malaria cases were defined as individuals with a positive rapid diagnostic test result as recorded in health center registers. We performed a difference-in-differences analysis to estimate changes in the incidence and test positivity of malaria between intervention and control villages. A total of 554 children received at least 1 round of chemoprevention, with 75% participating in at least 2 rounds. Compared with control villages, we estimated a 53.4% reduction (adjusted rate ratio [aRR], 0.47; 95% confidence interval [CI]: .34-.62; P < .01) in malaria incidence and a 30% decrease in the test positivity rate (aRR, 0.70; 95% CI: .50-.97; P = .03) in the intervention village in the 6 months post-intervention. The impact was greatest among children who received the intervention, but decreased incidence was also observed in older children and adults (aRR, 0.57; 95% CI: .38-.84; P < .01). Three rounds of chemoprevention with DP delivered under pragmatic conditions reduced the incidence of malaria after severe flooding in western Uganda. These findings provide a proof-of-concept for the use of malaria chemoprevention to reduce excess disease burden associated with severe flooding.