 STUDY DRUGS Favourable drugs for use as IPT should balance long half-life against efficacy, safety, tolerability and potentiality for cross-resistance selection.16 Use of long-acting drugs would result in fewer intake and higher treatment compliance. Sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine is an established used product in the indication of IPT in pregnancy. The drug has further proven safety and tolerability in children in clinical trials. SP is slowly eliminated and allows 60 days antimalaria protection for fully sensitive P. falciparum. Other long-acting drugs available are mefloquine, amodiaquine, and piperaquine. However, due safety concern mefloquine might not be optimal for IPT. Amodiaquine is not suitable for IPT due to its 3 days treatment regimen that may be a concern regarding compliance. Piperaquine has been extensively used for mass prophylaxis and treatment since 1978 in China and other malaria endemic countries of Asia.20 Piperaquine has a long half-live and points as good IPT candidate in endemic country with SP resistance. For this study sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine combined with piperaquine SP-PQ plus will be used. SP and SP-PQ will be given at 4 months intervals in line with the long half-lives around 20 days in paediatric patients and for higher treatment compliance, 