Abstract
BackgroundWhile the use of sulphadoxine pyrimethamine (SP) is effective in preventing malaria infection during pregnancy, there are challenges limiting its uptake in Nigeria. This study aimed at exploring the barriers to IPTp usage among pregnant women in Kano state - Nigeria.MethodsThis is a qualitative study. The purposive sampling strategy was used for identification and selection of 14 key informants for interviews. In addition, six focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted with pregnant women (3 FGDs) and married men (3 FGDs). The conventional content analysis method was used to interpret meaning from the content of the data. MAXQDA 10 software was used for data management and analysis.ResultsPoor policy implementation, poor antenatal care attendance, inadequate access to intermittent preventive treatment at the community levels, lack of sustainable funding, and poor community engagement emerged as major barriers to IPTp use in Nigeria.ConclusionWhile the political will to allocate sufficient financial resources could help improve service delivery and IPTp usage among pregnant women, community participation is critical to sustain the gains.
Highlights
While the use of sulphadoxine pyrimethamine (SP) is effective in preventing malaria infection during pregnancy, there are challenges limiting its uptake in Nigeria
Stakeholders considered for the interviews included national malaria director, state malaria coordinator, other malaria experts, community members and health care providers
How much does a pack of intermittent preventive treatment for pregnant women (IPTp) cost? Providing three packs for each of these women costs 4.8 million Naira (13,445 Dollars)
Summary
While the use of sulphadoxine pyrimethamine (SP) is effective in preventing malaria infection during pregnancy, there are challenges limiting its uptake in Nigeria. Malaria is a major public health challenge in several low-middle income countries (LMICs). 29% of all pregnancies are at risk of malaria [1] This is life-threatening as it poses substantial health risk to pregnant mothers, the fetuses and the neonates [2]. The World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines on antenatal care highlight the need of countries to improve utilization of malaria prevention initiatives [6], including opportunities to expand use of IPTp with sulphadoxine pyrimethamine (SP)
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