Knowledge, uptake and therapeutic effectiveness of sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (IPTp-SP) among pregnant women attending the antenatal clinic at ayeduase Health Centre in Oforikrom Municipality in the Ashanti-region, Ghana.

BACKGROUND

Malaria is a life-threatening disease, and in pregnancy, it has been recognized to pose a substantial threat to mothers, fetuses and neonates and accounted for 249 million malaria cases and 608,000 malaria deaths in 85 countries in 2022. Malaria in pregnancy poses a significant threat, and globally, it is associated with approximately 10,000 maternal deaths each year. In sub-Saharan Africa, it is projected that approximately 25 million pregnant women in this region are at risk of contracting Plasmodium falciparum malaria infection annually. In Ghana, the overall prevalence of malaria in pregnancy was 20.4% among pregnant women in the middle belt of Ghana. Malaria in pregnancy causes maternal anaemia, spontaneous abortion, stillbirth, preterm delivery and low birth weight; however, it is preventable and curable. Despite the implementation of the intermittent preventive treatment with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine policy in Ghana, the coverage remains low. This study assessed the knowledge, uptake and therapeutic effectiveness of intermittent preventive treatment with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine among pregnant women visiting the antenatal clinic at the Ayeduase Health Centre.

METHODOLOGY

The study employed an analytical cross-sectional design, and a total of 187 pregnant women attending the antenatal clinic at the Ayeduase Health Centre were surveyed. The data collected were exported into the Stata Corp 17 version for data analysis. Descriptive statistics were performed, and logistic regression was used to test associations between the dependent and independent variables. A p-value less than 0.05 was considered significant at a 95% confidence level.

RESULTS

All pregnant women (100%) had ever heard of IPTp-SP, and 94.7% knew of its benefits in pregnancy. Notably, health providers were the major source of information for approximately 94% of pregnant women, and a higher level of knowledge on IPTp-SP was found among 92.0% of pregnant women. The prevalence of anaemia and malaria in pregnancy was found to be low (4.8% and 9.7%, respectively). Optimal uptake (≥ 3 doses) of IPTp-SP was high among (61.3%) pregnant women. Therapeutic effectiveness was high among (86.6%) pregnant women. Late antenatal clinic initiation (AOR = 0.4 95% Cl: [0.21-0.89], p = 0.022), period of IPTp-SP intake (AOR = 0.1 95% Cl: [0.03-0.37], p < 0.001), good knowledge (AOR = 6.5 95% Cl: [1.06-39.72], p = 0.043) and therapeutic effectiveness (AOR = 3.4 95% Cl: [1.08-11.0], p = 0.037) were significantly associated with ≥ 3 doses of IPTp-SP.

CONCLUSION

The initiation of the antenatal clinic, regular attendance and the uptake of optimal doses of IPTp-SP are crucial elements in ensuring a healthy pregnancy. Educating pregnant women on these aspects is imperative for enhancing their overall well-being and ensuring positive outcomes during pregnancy and childbirth.