Table 2.

Considerations for selecting the most appropriate time of year to conduct MDA

^aPopulations are more concerned about malaria during the peak of transmission and this may encourage participation. However, diseases such as common colds and diarrhoea are more prevalent during this time. This might encourage participation as people seek treatment, but conversely might lead to increased numbers of people being excluded from participation with MDA or the attribution of illness to an adverse reaction to medicines given during MDA.

Cells have been coloured according to discussions with the field team who implemented MDA: orange-red represents the least favourable timing, yellow intermediate and pale green most favourable.