Lutte Contre le Paludisme à l’École au Mali: Résultats d’un essai randomisé et contrôlé en grappe dans la région de Sikasso

Malaria is one of the most serious public health problems in Mali. It is responsible for 37.5% of health service consultations; furthermore, it represents the primary cause deaths of children under five and the primary cause of anemia in pregnant women. The Sikasso region suffers more of these problems considering its extended periods of rain and malaria transmission, lasting between 4 to 6 months.

The objective of the National Program to Fight Malaria in Mali is to reduce morbidity and mortality caused by Malaria by 75%. This is done by a universal cover of mosquito net, early intervention and correct treatment in malaria case, and developing community-based interventions for prevention, diagnosis, and treatment by households. The Ministry of Education of Base (MEBA) recently reinforced the relevance of the policy through the National School Health Program, which aims to create a health system in schools. Although both strategies offer opportunities to integrate the fight against malaria in schools, the focus is not on school-aged children. As programs focused on school-aged children do not exist to date, concrete evidence to inform strategies for fighting malaria in school in Mali are needed. The results of the study in this report are to inform the development a more specific strategy to combat Malaria in school in Mali.