Malaria is a deadly disease transmitted to people by mosquitoes. Even though it is both preventable and treatable, it remains one of the most serious global health problems, especially for pregnant women and children. Jhpiego works with governments and local partners in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia to deliver quality malaria prevention, diagnosis and treatment services.
Pregnancy reduces a woman’s immunity to malaria, which makes her more susceptible to malaria infection and increases her risk of severe anemia, miscarriage, stillbirth, premature delivery, delivery of low-birthweight babies and death. Following the birth of a child, the risk of malaria infection and clinical disease increases after the waning of maternal immunity. Children under-five remain susceptible to malaria because they have an immature immune system. Because of this, much of our work focuses on strengthening health service delivery sites at the community and facility level and health workers’ skills to deliver quality prevention, diagnosis, and treatment products and services that significantly reduce illness and death, especially among those most at risk, pregnant women, and children under five.
