Genotyping P. falciparum strains resistant to sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine among pregnant women in Uganda

Objective

The objective of this study is to investigate a new method of detecting mutations in genes associated with resistance to sulphadoxine/pyrimethamine (SP) and to investigate the impact of SP resistance on clinical outcome in HIV infected women who are receiving cotrimoxazole.

Progress

3,276 pregnant women have been enrolled successfully at two study sites in Uganda and 937 have been seen at delivery. A novel technology for measuring SP resistance has been transferred successfully from the University of Alberta, Canada to the Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI), Entebbe, Uganda. Due to a delay in recruitment and to an increase in the cost of the laboratory assays, a request for a supplementary budget was received. After a site visit by Prof Pascal Magnussen, University of Copenhagen, it was agreed that this was a reasonable request and an additional award was made with an extension of the project until the end of 2012.

Status: It is anticipated that laboratory work will be completed by the end of 2012.