Prevention of Malaria in Pregnancy:

WHO 2012 Policy
Recommendations for IPTp-SP
 (intermittent preventive treatment during pregnancy with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine)

•IPTp-SP should ideally be administered as directly observed therapy.

•Three tablets of SP (each tablet containing 500 mg/25 mg SP), giving the total required dosage of 1,500 mg/75 mg SP

•SP can be given with or without food.

•SP should not be administered to women receiving cotrimoxazole prophylaxis due to a higher risk of adverse events.

•The WHO recommends administration of 0.4 mg folic acid daily.

•This dose may be safely used in conjunction with SP.

Folic acid at a 5 mg or higher daily dose should not be given together with SP, as it counteracts SP’s efficacy as an antimalarial

•Pregnant women can receive SP at all scheduled ANC contacts:

•Starting at 13 weeks

•As long as doses are at least one month apart

•If the woman is not taking cotrimoxazole

•SP can be taken up to the time of delivery.

•Counsel pregnant women on importance of returning for repeat ANC contacts.