Malaria and pregnancy: the implementation of interventions

The choice of interventions for improving malaria control during pregnancy depends on several factors. These include the efficacy of the intervention, consumer acceptability and compliance, provider acceptability, cost, safety, integration with other interventions and the local system of health-care delivery, and the degree of combination of these factors. For successful implementation the following should be recognized: appropriate policy formulation based on a process of advocacy, research and demonstration programmes; regulation and legislation; resource mobilization; consumer awareness; and appropriate delivery, targeting, monitoring and evaluation. Malaria in pregnancy is a priority area for control and a major public-health problem. Improved control of such disease requires better integration into health-care practices.