The study will run in three phases; a preparatory phase to set up and obtain baseline morbidity data from a cross-sectional survey; an intervention phase and a post intervention phase of cross-sectional survey and data evaluation and dissemination. A cohort of 546 study children randomly selected will receive three full treatment courses of AS+AQ intermittently during the April - Nov 2007 transmission season. Community-based drug distributors (CDDs) will administer all courses of IPTc. The first dose of each course will be directly observed by the CDDs who will educate mothers or caregivers to administer subsequent doses appropriately at home. Follow up visits to homes will be done by CDDs and field supervisors to ascertain adherence and to monitor adverse drug events. The incidence of clinical malaria and other secondary outcomes will be compared with those of another cohort of 546 study children who will not receive IPTc but may be treated under the HMM strategy alone with AS+AQ when necessary during the observation period.