A Baseline Epidemiological Study to Document the Malaria Burden in Pregnant Women and the Incidence of Pregnancy in a Cohort of Nulligravida to Targeted Futur Malaria Vaccine Candidate Efficacy in Pregnancy in Burkina Faso

Three subgroups will involve in the design of this study:

for subgroup 1, fieldworkers will visit the households in the study area to identify and enroll women meeting the eligibility criteria to involve in a nulligravida cohort aged ≥ 15 years. After consenting a fingerprick blood sample will be obtained for pregnancy testing, malaria blood smear, and VAR2CSA antibodies measurement. Enrolled women will be visited every trimester to check for pregnancy and malaria infection. The follow up of each participant will end upon a pregnancy test is positive or at month 9 after the enrolment.

Participants to subgroup 2 will be enrolled primigravidae aged ≥ 15 years by study staff stationed at the antenatal care clinic. Women attending the ANC visit at any gestational age will be screened and those meeting the eligibility criteria will undergo the study procedures which includes collecting demographic data, medical and pregnancy history. They will then be requested to donate a fingerprick blood sample for malaria infection and hemoglobin measurement. This will be a single timepoint evaluation.

Subgroup 3 participants will be recruited primigravidae aged ≥ 15 years during any of the ANC visit as consenting process will not be feasible during the labour at delivery. They will be issued a sticker that will be affixed to the health card so that they could easily be recognized when they come for delivery. At delivery, samples will be collected from fingerprick, cord blood and placenta for detecting malaria infection by microscopy and histopathology. Additional data will be collected on the neonate for secondary outcomes assessment.