ArticleThe Lancet. Global health2023
Global estimates of the number of pregnancies at risk of malaria from 2007 to 2020: a demographic study.
Article in The Lancet. Global health, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 44 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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44 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 65 citations in OpenAlex.
- Prevalence, predictors and adverse perinatal outcomes of placental malaria in sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Archives of public health = Archives belges de sante publique · 2025Pooled it
- Differences in catalase levels between malaria-infected individuals and uninfected controls: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Scientific reports · 2023Pooled it
- Prevalence of and risk factors for microscopic and submicroscopic malaria infections in pregnancy: a systematic review and meta-analysis.The Lancet. Global health · 2023Pooled it
- The Relationship between Placental Malaria and Preeclampsia in Blantyre, Malawi.The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene · 2025Trial
- Developmental Toxicity Study for the Antimalarial Drug Combination Cabamiquine-Pyronaridine Using a Translational Approach.Birth defects research · 2026Article
- Clinical, parasitological, and hematologic profile of pregnant women with malaria in Colombia: a retrospective cross-sectional study.IJID regions · 2026Article
- Defining safety parameters for first-trimester malaria treatment trials: stakeholder views from Real-Time Delphi survey.Malaria journal · 2026Article
- Hidden hematological, biochemical and immune costs of asymptomatic malaria infections in semi-wild chimpanzees.PLoS pathogens · 2026Article
- Effect mechanisms of different malaria chemoprevention regimens in pregnancy on infant growth outcomes: causal mediation analysis of a randomized controlled trial.medRxiv : the preprint server for health sciences · 2026Article
- Malaria in children aged <6 months: a narrative review of current evidence, recommendations and practice gaps.Tropical medicine and health · 2026Review
- Pregnant women's acceptability of intermittent preventive treatment with dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine from user and provider's perspectives: qualitative findings from the pilot implementation in Papua, Indonesia.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2026Article
- Malaria: a review on its current epidemiological status and management strategies.Malaria journal · 2026Review
- Pregnant women's attitudes and intentions toward tuberculosis, malaria, group B streptococcus, and respiratory syncytial virus vaccines in pregnant: Findings from a cross-sectional study of pregnant women living in Brazil, Ghana, Kenya, and Pakistan.PLOS global public health · 2026Article
- Pregnancy Intentions and Maternal Health Behaviours: Observational Study in 18 African Countries.BJOG : an international journal of obstetrics and gynaecology · 2025Observational
- Hidden hematological, biochemical and immune costs of asymptomatic malaria infections in semi-wild chimpanzees.bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2025Article
- Landscape analysis of pregnancy exposure registries in low- and middle-income countries: a scoping review.BMJ open · 2025Article
- Malaria in Pregnancy and Predisposing Factors in Jor District of Gambella Region, Southwest Ethiopia: A Cross-Sectional Study.Health science reports · 2025Article
- Barriers to malaria prevention services in pregnancy: a multi-methods study in rural western Uganda.BMC public health · 2025Article
- Vector-borne infectious diseases in pregnancy in the era of climate change: A focus on mosquito- and tick-borne pathogens (Review).Experimental and therapeutic medicine · 2025Review
- Malaria-anemia comorbidity and its determinants among pregnant women in high- and moderate-malaria-risk countries in Sub-Saharan Africa.Infectious diseases of poverty · 2025Article
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Authors and funding
5 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundThe most recent global estimates of the number of pregnancies at risk of Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax malaria infection are from 2007. To inform global malaria prevention and control efforts, we aimed to estimate the global distribution of pregnancies at risk of malaria infection from 2007 to 2020.
methodsWe used estimates from the Malaria Atlas Project on the total population living in areas of P falciparum and P vivax transmission, combined with country-specific demographic data on women of reproductive age, fertility rates, induced abortions, and stillbirths, to derive the annual number of pregnancies overall, by parasite species, and by endemicity strata from 2007 to 2020. The definition of endemicity strata was based on the parasite point prevalence in individuals aged 2-10 years for P falciparum and 1-99 years for P vivax. We also did a sensitivity analysis in which we considered most of sub-Saharan Africa endemic for P vivax.
findingsIn 2020, 121·9 million pregnancies occurred in malaria transmission areas, resulting in an estimated 70·9 million (58·1%) livebirths. The total number of pregnancies at risk of malaria was 52·9 million in the WHO South-East Asia (SEARO) region, 5·1 million in the Western Pacific (WPRO) region, 46·1 million in the Africa (AFRO) region, 11·1 million in the Eastern Mediterranean (EMRO) region, and 6·7 million in the Americas (AMRO) region. Between 2007 and 2020, pregnancies in areas of P falciparum transmission declined by 11·4% globally, despite an overall 7·0% increase in pregnancies, representing a decrease of 100·0% in the WHO Europe (EURO) region, 52·6% in WPRO, 51·5% in AMRO, 23·9% in EMRO, and 17·2% in SEARO, and a 25·4% increase in AFRO. Pregnancies in P vivax transmission areas fell by 42·8%, representing a decrease of 100·0% in EURO, 89·8% in WPRO, 48·4% in AMRO, 32·4% in EMRO, and 10·0% in SEARO, and a 25·8% increase in AFRO. Our sensitivity analysis suggests that the number of pregnancies at risk of P vivax infection could be seven-fold higher for AFRO if the whole of sub-Saharan Africa was considered endemic for P vivax.
interpretationBetween 2007 and 2020, substantial declines in the number of pregnancies at risk of malaria were seen globally. However, in AFRO, 25·4% more pregnancies were at risk of P falciparum or P vivax malaria than in 2007. This increase in the number at risk in AFRO comes despite the decline in malaria rates due to the rapidly rising population and the corresponding number of pregnancies in endemic areas. These estimates should guide priority setting for resource allocation to control malaria in pregnancy.
fundingBill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Telethon Trust.
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