Time for malaria control in school-age children.

School-age children bear an under-appreciated burden of malaria. Across sub-Saharan Africa, the prevalence of infection peaks in this age-group, and an estimated 200 million school-age children are at risk of malaria. Infection in this age group not only threatens child health and education, but also serves as a source of onward parasite transmission, undermining elimination efforts. It is assumed that universal malaria interventions, such as bed nets and access to prompt diagnosis and treatment, cover this age group. However, school-age children are the group least likely to benefit from these interventions. Thus, interventions specifically targeting this age group are needed. Schools provide ready access to this population and are successfully employed to address other health concerns in schoolchildren, such as school-feeding for nutritional deficiencies and deworming campaigns for control of helminth infections.