STUDY TITLE:

The prevalence of G6PD deficiency among Ghanaian pregnant women and the defect implication on Sulfadoxine-Pyrimetmine (SP) use in the Intermittent Preventive Treatment programme.

Malaria still remains a life-threatening parasitic disease with approximately forty percent (40%) of the world’s population at its risk. Ghana has adopted the four main strategies recommended by roll back malaria, one of which is prevention of malaria among pregnant women using Sulphadoxine-Pyrimethamine (SP).

Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency is the most common human enzyme deficiency in the world; it affects an estimated 400 million people. G6PD deficiency is inherited and common among women. When someone has G6PD deficiency, problems such as breakdown of the body’s read blood cells that may lead to anaemia. Haemolytic anaemia and prolonged neonatal jaundice can arise as a result of the inability of the specific cell type to regenerate reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH); could lead to severe neurological complications and even death. This reaction if normally catalyzed by the G6PD enzyme.

The choice of this drug has raised questions about its use and safe among pregnant women who are G6PD deficient.

Study Objectives

The kintampo Health Research Centre, Health Research Unit, is a Ghana Health Service Institution. It is conducting a study with the objectives of determining:

1. The prevalence of G6PD deficiency among Ghanaian pregnant women.
2. The G6PD defect implications on Sulphadoxine-Pyrimethamine(SP) use at regular intervals during pregnancy,
3. What proportion of pregnant women who well-tolerate Sulphadoxine-Pyrimethamine are protected from malaria attack during their most recent pregnancy.

Field Activities:

Without pre-empting the results, the findings of this study will help inform the National Malaria Control Programme on the status and prevalence of G6PD deficient pregnant women in Ghana. This could help design monitoring and evaluation programmes on the use of SP for IPT among pregnant women.