File Temesgen, Jemal Feysal
Department of Medical Laboratory Science, Rift Valley University, Adama, Ethiopia.
Department of Public Health, Rift Valley University, Adama, Ethiopia.
J Parasitol Res. 2024 May 14;2024:6365077. doi: 10.1155/2024/6365077. eCollection 2024.
Malaria is one of the major public health problems in sub-Saharan Africa, including Ethiopia. Children under the age of five are immunologically naive to plasmodium parasites, making them the most vulnerable group to clinical manifestations of malaria infection. Despite the severity of the disease in children under five years of age, most studies on malaria focus on the adult population. In the present study, a cross-sectional study design based on health facilities was used during the minor malaria season from February 18 to May 28, 2023, at Mohammed Akile Memorial General Hospital, in Afar Regional State, district of Amibara located in the town of Berta. The finding revealed that 19.8% prevalence among symptomatic children with 61.04% and 38.96% of and , respectively. In the present study area, malaria infection in children under five years of age is significantly associated with the presence of stagnant water in the residential area, inappropriate or no use of insecticide-treated net, and indoor residual spraying (IRS). The prevalence of malaria among symptomatic children under five years of age is higher compared to the national prevalence of malaria among the general population. Therefore, community mobilization through health promotion, aiming to interrupt the transmission of malaria at the community level, is paramount.
疟疾是撒哈拉以南非洲地区（包括埃塞俄比亚）主要的公共卫生问题之一。五岁以下儿童对疟原虫在免疫上尚无抵抗力，这使他们成为最易出现疟疾感染临床表现的群体。尽管五岁以下儿童所患疾病严重，但大多数疟疾研究都聚焦于成年人群体。在本研究中，于2023年2月18日至5月28日的小疟疾季节期间，在阿法尔州位于伯塔镇的阿米巴拉区的穆罕默德·阿基勒纪念综合医院，采用了基于医疗机构的横断面研究设计。研究结果显示，有症状儿童的患病率为19.8%，其中分别为61.04%和38.96%。在本研究区域，五岁以下儿童的疟疾感染与居民区存在积水、未适当使用或未使用经杀虫剂处理的蚊帐以及室内滞留喷洒（IRS）显著相关。五岁以下有症状儿童的疟疾患病率高于全国普通人群的疟疾患病率。因此，通过健康促进进行社区动员，旨在在社区层面阻断疟疾传播，至关重要。
