Prevalence and associated factors of malaria in children under the age of five years in Wogera district, northwest Ethiopia: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background Malaria is a major public health problem in sub-Saharan Africa, and children are especially vulnerable. In 2019, an estimated 409,000 people died of malaria, most (274,000) were young children and 94% of the cases and deaths were in Africa. Prior studies in Ethiopia focused on the adult population and high transmission areas. Hence, this study aimed to determine the prevalence and associated factors of malaria in children under five years in low transmission areas. Method A facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 585 under-five children who attended public health facilities in the Wogera district from September to October, 2017. Health facilities were selected by stratified cluster sampling, and systematic random sampling was held to select study participants from the selected facilities. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify correlates of malaria. Result Of 585 children who provided blood samples, 51 (8.7%) had malaria. The predominant Plasmodium species were P. falciparum 33 (65%) and P. vivax 18 (35%). Regularly sleeping under long-lasting insecticide treated nets (LLIN) was associated with decreased odds of malaria (AOR = 0.08, 95% CI: 0.01–0.09), and an increased odds of malaria was observed among children who live in households with stagnant water in the compound (AOR = 6.7, 95% CI: 3.6–12.6) and children who stay outdoors during the night (AOR = 5.5, 95% CI: 2.7–11.1). Conclusion The prevalence of malaria in the study population was high. Environmental and behavioral factors related to LLIN use remain potential determinants of malaria. Continued public health interventions targeting proper utilization of bed nets, drainage of stagnant water, and improved public awareness about reducing the risk of insect bites have the potential to minimize the prevalence of malaria and improve the health of children.

Prevalence and Associated Factors of Malaria Infection among Outpatients Visiting Shewa Robit Health Center, Northcentral Ethiopia

“…Malaria is one of the top ten diseases in the town and is reported throughout the year [ 14 ], and the highest transmission rate usually occurs twice a year, from September to November and from June to August. The town is classified as a malarious area, with the disease spreading to the level of an epidemic once in every five years [ 1 ].…”

“…Malaria is recognized around the world as a debilitating and terrible infectious disease that kills millions and causes serious complications such as severe anemia, cerebral involvement, acute renal failure, and hypoglycemia [ 1 , 2 ]. It is distributed worldwide including Africa, south and Central America, south and southeast Asia, particularly with very high transmission intensity in the Sub-Saharan Africa [ 3 ].…”

Malaria serosurvey among acute febrile patients come for health care seeking at the high malaria-endemic setting of North West Ethiopia

“…A 15-day recall period was used to measure whether each child regularly slept under long-lasting insecticide-treated nets (LLIN) or not. 12 …”

“…The data were collected first by interviewing at every four services, giving room for structured interviews about their demographic characteristics, previous malaria exposure, and preventive measures. Data collection tool was prepared after reviewing relevant previously published articles 8 , 12 , 29 , 30 with 5% the total sampled survey at Pawe General and Referral Hospitals and made an amendment. Finally, the result was reported by laboratory technology, both data collectors were trained for 2 days by the principal investigators.…”

“…In Ethiopia, peak malaria transmission occurs between September and December in most parts following parts, following the rainy seasons from June to August, mainly affecting young children, and P. falciparum and P. vivax are the major malaria parasites. 8 , 12 About 75% of the landmass of Ethiopia are malarious, and 60% of the population are at risk of developing the disease, 4 , 5 which shred 6% of malaria cases globally, and about 12% of the global mortality. 13 The country has made a significant effort to control malaria infection since the introduction of dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) as an insecticide upon which the country based its indoor residual spray (IRS) in 1957.…”