Arzika AM, et al. - Through a cluster-randomized trial carried out from November 23, 2014, until July 31, 2017, on 30 rural communities in Niger, the researchers intended to assess whether the mass distribution of azithromycin, which has modest antimalarial activity, reduced the community burden of malaria. Mass distribution of azithromycin or mass distribution of placebo (n=1,695 and n=3,029 respectively) to all children who were 1 to 59 months every 6 months over a 2-year period was conducted. Individuals who received the antibiotic had lesser malaria parasites at months 12 and 24 in comparison to the children who were on placebo. A decline in the prevalence rate of malaria parasitemia was observed post-mass azithromycin distributions suggesting one possible mechanism for the mortality benefit noted with this intervention. To investigate the frequency of providing treatment, the efficiency of azithromycin during various seasons of the year, and the generalizability of this finding to other settings in sub-Saharan Africa, future studies are needed.