PREVALENCE OF ASYMPTOMATIC MALARIA AND ANEMIA AMONG PRIMARY SCHOOL CHILDREN IN ENUGU STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

Objective: The objective of the study was to determine the prevalence of asymptomatic malaria and anaemia among primary school children in Enugu State, Nigeria. Methods: This research was a quantitative cross-sectional survey conducted among children in 8 primary schools in Nsukka, Enugu State, Nigeria. Asymptomatic children aged 5 to 13 were randomly selected and screened for malaria parasitemia and anaemia. The presence of malaria parasites in the blood sample was detected using the rapid diagnostic test (RDT) kit. At the same time, haemoglobin concentration was measured using a portable Mission® Plus Hemoglobin (Hb) Testing kit. The clinical status of the children was obtained from a self-administered questionnaire completed by their parents or guardians. Descriptive statistics and the Chi-square test were used for data analysis. Results: The prevalence of asymptomatic malaria and anaemia was 24.1% and 45.8%, respectively. The school-age children with both asymptomatic malaria and anaemia were 13.7%. The prevalence of asymptomatic malaria was significantly associated with asymptomatic anaemia (p = 0.013). Sleeping under insecticide-treated nets was significantly associated with a lower prevalence of asymptomatic malaria (p = 0.024) and anaemia (p = 0.015). Conclusion: The study revealed a high burden of asymptomatic malaria and anaemia among primary school children in Nsukka. This study, thus, underscores the need for robust implementation of malaria and anaemia screening, prevention, and treatment programmes in this population.