In this month’s Bulletin

By collecting data on the parasitaemia levels of pregnant women and the conditions in health care facilities in Kenya, health workers can provide the information on which to base malaria control policy for this population group. The methodology for doing so was tested in five clinics in Kisumu and four in Mombasa, the two districts being chosen for their contrasting social, epidemiological and geographical conditions. Malaria being one of the few causes of low birth weight that is amenable to intervention once a woman has become pregnant, the information helps health authorities to make the best use possible of scarce resources. The findings support the widespread use of intermittent doses of sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine for pregnant women at the clinic.