Risk of Plasmodium falciparum infection in south-west Burkina Faso: potential impact of expanding eligibility for seasonal malaria chemoprevention

Yaro, Jean Baptiste; Tiono, Alfred B.; Ouedraogo, Alphonse; Lambert, Ben; Ouedraogo, Z. Amidou; Diarra, Amidou; Traore, Adama; Lankouande, Malik; Soulama, Issiaka; Sanou, Antoine; Worrall, Eve; Agboraw, Efundem; Sagnon, N’Fale; Ranson, Hilary; Churcher, Thomas S.; Lindsay, Steve W.; Wilson, Anne L.

Abstract

Burkina Faso has one of the highest malaria burdens in sub-Saharan Africa despite the mass deployment of insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) and use of seasonal malaria chemoprevention (SMC) in children aged up to 5 years. Identification of risk factors for Plasmodium falciparum infection in rural Burkina Faso could help to identify and target malaria control measures. A cross-sectional survey of 1,199 children and adults was conducted during the peak malaria transmission season in the Cascades Region of south-west Burkina Faso in 2017. Logistic regression was used to identify risk factors for microscopically confirmed P. falciparum infection. A malaria transmission dynamic model was used to determine the impact on malaria cases averted of administering SMC to children aged 5–15 year old. P. falciparum prevalence was 32.8% in the study population. Children aged 5 to < 10 years old were at 3.74 times the odds (95% CI = 2.68–5.22, P < 0.001) and children aged 10 to 15 years old at 3.14 times the odds (95% CI = 1.20–8.21, P = 0.02) of P. falciparum infection compared to children aged less than 5 years old. Administration of SMC to children aged up to 10 years is predicted to avert an additional 57 malaria cases per 1000 population per year (9.4% reduction) and administration to children aged up to 15 years would avert an additional 89 malaria cases per 1000 population per year (14.6% reduction) in the Cascades Region, assuming current coverage of pyrethroid-piperonyl butoxide ITNs. Malaria infections were high in all age strata, although highest in children aged 5 to 15 years, despite roll out of core malaria control interventions. Given the burden of infection in school-age children, extension of the eligibility criteria for SMC could help reduce the burden of malaria in Burkina Faso and other countries in the region.

Citation

Yaro, J. B., Tiono, A. B., Ouedraogo, A., Lambert, B., Ouedraogo, Z. A., Diarra, A., Traore, A., Lankouande, M., Soulama, I., Sanou, A., Worrall, E., Agboraw, E., Sagnon, N., Ranson, H., Churcher, T. S., Lindsay, S. W., & Wilson, A. L. (2022). Risk of Plasmodium falciparum infection in south-west Burkina Faso: potential impact of expanding eligibility for seasonal malaria chemoprevention. Scientific Reports, 12(1), Article 1402. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-05056-7

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Dec 10, 2021
• Online Publication Date: Jan 26, 2022
• Publication Date: 2022-01
• Deposit Date: Feb 18, 2022
• Publicly Available Date: Feb 18, 2022
• Journal: Scientific Reports
• Publisher: Nature Research
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 12
• Issue: 1
• Article Number: 1402
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-05056-7
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1213688