Background
Tanzania adopted Intermittent-preventive treatment of malaria in pregnancy (IPTp) policy in 2000; the guidelines at the time of the study recommended the timing of the first dose of intermittent preventive treatment in pregnancy (IPTp) with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP) (IPTp-SP) at 20–24 weeks and the timing of the second dose at 28–32 weeks. The aim of this study was to identify factors that are responsible for the uptake of IPTp among pregnant Tanzanian women. Further, this study aims to justify the need for appropriate interventions that would strengthen the Tanzanian IPTp program towards the realization of the Roll Back Malaria (RBM) targets.

Methods
Data were analyzed from the 2011–2012 Tanzania HIV and Malaria Indicators Survey (THMIS) of 1,616 women aged 15–49 years who had a live birth in the 2 years prior to the survey and received antenatal care (ANC) services.