Pregnant women can contribute to malaria surveillance in sub-Saharan Africa

P. falciparum infection rates in pregnant women attending their first antenatal care visit can be used to estimate the burden of malaria in children living in the community, according to a study led by the Barcelona Institute of Health (ISGlobal) and the Centre for Health Research in Manhica (CISM). The study, published in Nature Communications, confirms that pregnant women are an optimal population to monitor changes in infection prevalence and to adapt control measures.