Enhancing IPTp-SP uptake: Community and stakeholder recommendations for improving access and utilisation – insights from a study in Bayelsa-Nigeria

Background. Malaria remains a major global health challenge, disproportionately affecting pregnant women and children. In Nigeria, malaria in pregnancy contributes to 70.5% of maternal morbidity and 41.1% of maternal mortality. Recognising these risks, the World Health Organization recommends intermittent preventive treatment with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (IPTp-SP) as a key strategy for malaria in pregnancy prevention. However, despite its proven effectiveness, pregnant women’s uptake of IPTp-SP remains unacceptably low. This study presents participant-driven recommendations to enhance IPTp-SP uptake, structured within the socio-ecological framework. Materials and Methods. This study employed an exploratory descriptive qualitative approach to examine the community-level contextual factors influencing IPTp-SP uptake. Data were collected from 53 participants in two communities in Bayelsa, Nigeria. Individual interviews were conducted with 17 key stakeholders (spouses, mothers-in-law, religious leaders, community leaders, and traditional birth attendants) and 6 focus group discussions with 36 pregnant women. Data management and coding were conducted using NVivo 14 QSR International software, following an inductive-deductive thematic analysis approach. Results. Participants proposed multi-level interventions to address barriers to IPTp-SP uptake at the individual, interpersonal, community, and healthcare system levels. Key recommendations include: Community-wide education campaigns to raise awareness of IPTp-SP’s benefits; comprehensive training for healthcare providers to enhance their knowledge and prescription of IPTp-SP; integration of traditional birth attendants into the formal healthcare system; community-level distribution of IPTp-SP to improve access for pregnant women who do not attend antenatal care; government intervention to ensure the functionality of health centers; addressing workforce shortages, and guaranteeing a consistent supply of IPTp-SP. Conclusion. These evidence-based, participant-driven recommendations offer a holistic and scalable strategy to improve pregnant women’s uptake of IPTp-SP in Nigeria and other malaria-endemic regions. Implementing these recommendations can strengthen malaria prevention efforts, improve maternal and child health outcomes, and support broader public health initiatives.