Detection of Malaria Parasite Infection Among Children Attending General Hospital Kawo, Kaduna State, Nigeria

Abstract

Malaria is one of the most common infectious diseases and a great public health problem worldwide. It is one of the world’s deadliest  diseases affecting people particularly in tropical and subtropical regions of the world, especially in sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia.  This study was conducted to determine the prevalence of malarial parasite among children attending General Hospital Kawo, Kaduna State. A total of 250 blood sample were collected from children at random for malarial parasite infection using Rapid diagnostic  test and microscopy. The result showed a prevalence of 77.6% using method of microscopy and 56.0% RDT. It was found that those  between ages of 8-10 had the highest prevalence of 44.1%. Based on gender, male had the highest prevalence of 56.6%.The high  prevalence of malaria infection recorded in this study may be attributed to the fact that the favourable environmental conditions enhance  mosquito breeding and survival. More effort, proper environmental sanitations, legal dumping of waste are needed in the  control of malaria in and within the study area, the parents also need enlightenment in the importance of early malaria diagnosis and  control. Result from this study also indicates that the blood smear microscopy seems to be better than Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT) for  malaria diagnosis.