This study was therefore set up in 2002, in order to evaluate the additional effect of a targeted promotional campaign on antenatal clinics utilization and on coverage and uptake of Intermittent preventive treatment with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine in a rural health district in Burkina Faso; and to investigate the effectiveness of intermittent preventive treatment with the sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine compared with weekly chloroquine, in order to provide additional evidence to the Burkinabé Ministry of Health for an impending policy change.