Department of Pediatrics, HEAL Africa Hospital, Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
School of Medicine, Queen´s University, Kingston, Canada.
Pan Afr Med J. 2021 Oct 7;40:84. doi: 10.11604/pamj.2021.40.84.21165. eCollection 2021.
In 2017, malaria accounted for 435 000 deaths worldwide. Eleven percent (11%) of these deaths occurred in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where malaria continues to be a leading cause of morbidity and mortality. Children are amongst the most vulnerable to malaria, which causes 40% of childhood deaths in the country. Although many risk factors for developing malaria have been identified, there is a paucity of data available on the sociodemographic risk factors for pediatric malaria. A cross-sectional study including 131 febrile children aged 2 months to 14 years presenting to Heal Africa Hospital due to febrile illness. Guardians of participants answered a questionnaire about household and maternal characteristics, as well as child symptomatology. Malaria status was confirmed via blood smear. Results were analyzed using the chi-square test, likelihood ratios and a logistic regression. The absence of father as head of household (p=0.011) and gestational malaria (p=0.044) were significantly associated with pediatric malaria. This study provides insight into sociodemographic risk factors associated with pediatric malaria in the DRC. While further investigation is required, this study highlights the benefit of considering these factors when approaching the febrile child. A pediatric malaria assessment tool incorporating socio-demographics, symptoms and physical exam findings may guide investigations to reduce unnecessary testing and provide better patient-centred care.
2017 年，全球有 43.5 万人死于疟疾。其中 11%（11%）的死亡发生在刚果民主共和国（DRC），疟疾仍是该国发病率和死亡率的主要原因。儿童是最容易感染疟疾的人群之一，该国 40%的儿童死亡是由疟疾引起的。尽管已经确定了许多导致疟疾的风险因素，但关于儿科疟疾的社会人口学风险因素的数据仍然很少。这是一项横断面研究，共纳入了 131 名因发热性疾病而前往 Heal Africa 医院就诊的 2 个月至 14 岁发热儿童。参与者的监护人回答了一份关于家庭和产妇特征以及儿童症状的问卷。通过血涂片确认疟疾状况。使用卡方检验、似然比和逻辑回归分析结果。家庭中没有父亲作为家长（p=0.011）和妊娠期疟疾（p=0.044）与儿科疟疾显著相关。本研究深入了解了刚果民主共和国与儿科疟疾相关的社会人口学风险因素。虽然还需要进一步的研究，但本研究强调了在处理发热儿童时考虑这些因素的重要性。一种包含社会人口统计学、症状和体格检查结果的儿科疟疾评估工具可以指导调查，减少不必要的检测，并提供更好的以患者为中心的护理。
