Malaria Prevalence in Children under 5 Years and Pregnant Women Attending Selected Hospitals in Ihitte Uboma LGA, Imo State, Nigeria

Abstract

The study was carried out to determine the prevalence of malaria among children under 5 years and pregnant women in Ihitte Uboma Local Government Area, Imo State, South Eastern, Nigeria. A total number of 200 blood samples were collected which comprised of 100 from pregnant women and 100 from children under 5 years. These were screened for presence of malaria infection using the thick and thin Giemsa stained blood films. Out of the four species of Plasmodium, only one: Plasmodium falciparum was identified to be most predominant in both sample populations. Results obtained showed that all the blood samples obtained from the pregnant women were positive for the parasite with the age groups of 19-21 and 28-30 producing the highest significant signs, with visible fever accompanying the infection. Similarly all the blood samples obtained from the infants were positive with all the studied age groups displaying a high level of significance of (+++) and the associated fever. Malaria infection indeed showed a high level of endemicity in Ihitte Uboma thus calling for adequate measures to be put in place to monitor its negative impact on these most vulnerable members of the community, namely, pregnant women and children.

Keywords: Amakohia, Ihitte Uboma, malaria, children, pregnant women, Plasmodium falciparum, Nigeria.

Nigerian Journal of Parasitology, Vol. 33 [1] March 2012, pp. 73-76