Abstract:
Background: Malaria is an endemic disease that currently affect pregnant women and young children in low income countries and particularly West Africa region where only few of the countries carry high amount of the malaria global crisis due to its high transmission tropism during the increased humidity and the rainy seasons. In Côte d'Ivoire, malaria killed in 2022 almost four people every day including three children under the age of five. This research study aims to determine the malaria prevalence and the risk factors influencing malarial infected children aged 3 months to 6 years old in the western region of Co?te d’Ivoire for a better management.
Methods: A cohort of 907 male and female children aged 6 years inclusive were recruited from March 2020 to June 2021 in 47 villages (Western Region). Children who provided the venous blood samples for both the diagnosis of anaemia (full blood count) and malaria (Microscopy and RDT) were enrolled in the study. Univariate analysis (Chi-2 test (χ2) and P: (Probability) were used for comparison between groups. Risk factors and morbidity profiles were assessed using data of only participants diagnosed positive with Microscopy and RDT tools. Logistic regressions models were employed to identify independent risk factors and morbidity patterns associated with Plasmodium falciparum mono-infection and co-infections. Significant test was considered at a threshold of 0.05.
Results: Out of the 907 participants enrolled in the study, 471(51.9%) were male and 436(48.1%) were female. The prevalence of positive RDT testing was 82.8% while P. falciparum infections was 57.9% and mixed infections 34.8%. On the other hand, the prevalence by microscopy was 59.3% with P. falciparum accounting for 78.7%, P. malariae 8.8% and co-infection P. falciparum/P. malaria 14.7%. Factors associated with malaria (GeFs_Pos) were: Anaemia (OR: 3.49; 95% CI: 1.47-8.28, p = 0.005), Platelet (OR: 0.99; 95% CI: 0.99-1.10, p < 0.001), body Temperature (OR: 0.010 95% CI: 1.21-3.96, p = 0.010) and older children [6Y-7Y [ (OR: 2.61 95% CI: 1.19-5.71, p = 0.017).
Conclusion: Almost a quarter of Microscopy & RDT positive participants were [6 – 7Y[ years old children infected with P. falciparum displaying the highest prevalence (80.5%). This same group also shared the most significant prevalence of mild and moderate intensity of parasitemia. This study, further identified Anaemia, and Older children as potential risk factors for malaria in children.
Keywords: Malaria; Risk factors; Prevalence; Children aged 6 years; Côte d’Ivoire.
