Preventive malaria treatment in African schools dramatically reduces rates of infection and anaemia among children and may also boost learning potential, according to a study released on July 11.
British and Kenyan researchers led by Sian Clarke of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine gave three doses of two anti-malarial drugs over eight months to nearly 5,000 children aged between five and 18 in 30 schools in rural Kenya.
The two drugs, sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine and amodiaquine, are usually prescribed as a treatment after a patient has become infected, rather than as a preventive measure. A control group received twin placebos, or a dummy treatment. The preventive regimen sharply reduced the risk of infection and halved the rate of aneamia, one of the principal symptoms of the disease. The authors say they were also impressed by classroom tests that showed sustained concentration among the treatment cohort, although no specific impact was seen in terms of educational achievement.
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