Efficacy and Safety of Intermittent Preventive Treatment in Schoolchildren with Sulfadoxine/Pyrimethamine (SP) and SP plus Piperaquine in Democratic Republic of the Congo: A Randomised Controlled Trial

Researchers sought to determine the most effective regimen of intermittent preventive treatment (IPT) against malaria for schoolchildren in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The children were given sulfadoxine/pyrimethamine (SP), SP plus piperaquine (SP/PQ), or no intervention. The SP group saw a reduction in anemia (10%), malaria parasitemia (19%), and clinical malaria (25%), while the SP/PQ group experienced an even greater reduction of 28%, 40%, and 58%, respectively. Findings suggested that SP, and even more so SP/PQ, may be a promising option for IPT in schoolchildren.