Malaria in school-aged children: Epidemiological risk, disease burden and strategies for control. (360G-Wellcome-084933_Z_08_Z)

Malaria exerts its greatest toll in early childhood, and research and control has justifiably focussed on this high-risk group. Less attention has been given, and as a consequence little is known about the epidemiology of malaria in school-aged children or the appropriateness of intervention strategies. Clinical attacks and deaths still occur in this age group, but chronic asymptomatic parasite carriage, an important cause of anaemia, is more common. Prevention of malaria has recently been shown to halve the prevalence of anaemia and improve attention in African schoolchildren in an area of high transmission, which could have a beneficial impact on learning and educational achievement. This project will use a combination of epidemiological studies and intervention research to quantify the impact of malaria on the health and education of children of school-going age (5-14 years) living in a contrasting situation of low-moderate seasonal transmission, where the impact of malaria may be g reater, and to evaluate the impact and cost-effectiveness of malaria prevention in this population. Two delivery approaches will be compared. The information generated will provide decision-makers with a better knowledge of the epidemiology and impact of malaria in school-aged children, and information on the benefits and cost-effectiveness of malaria control.