High Malaria Prevalence among Schoolchildren on Kome Island, Tanzania

Abstract

In order to determine the status of malaria among schoolchildren on Kome Island (Lake Victoria), near Mwanza, Tanzania, a total of 244 schoolchildren in 10 primary schools were subjected to a blood survey using the fingerprick method. The subjected schoolchildren were 123 boys and 121 girls who were 6-8 years of age. Only 1 blood smear was prepared for each child. The overall prevalence of malaria was 38.1% (93 positives), and sex difference was not remarkable. However, the positive rate was the highest in Izindabo Primary School (51.4%) followed by Isenyi Primary School (48.3%) and Bugoro Primary School (46.7%). The lowest prevalence was found in Muungano Primary School (16.7%) and Nyamiswi Primary School (16.7%). These differences were highly correlated with the location of the school on the Island; those located in the peripheral area revealed higher prevalences while those located in the central area showed lower prevalences. Plasmodium falciparum was the predominant species (38.1%; 93/244), with a small proportion of them mixed-infected with Plasmodium vivax (1.6%; 4/244). The results revealed that malaria is highly prevalent among primary schoolchildren on Kome Island, Tanzania, and there is an urgent need to control malaria in this area.

Five Year Retrospective and Current Prevalence of Malaria in Bunkure Local Government Area of Kano State, Nigeria

“…This is in line with similar studies reported in Nigeria [24,44,45]. Similarly, this was reported in Democratic Republic of Congo [36], Ghana [40], Tanzania [42] and Mozambique [38]. The observed shift in prevalence of malaria from children < 5 years of age to those ≥ 5 years old, may be related to the malaria control policy, which was focused on children under the age of 5 years and pregnant women.…”

“…In other sub-Saharan countries endemic for malaria, the prevalence rate obtained in this study was similar to that reported in the Democratic Republic of the Congo [36], Equitorial Guinea [37], Mozambique [38] and Papua, New Guinea [39]. The figure was however higher than what was reported in Ghana [40], Gambia [41], Tanzania [42] and Kenya [43].…”

Uncomplicated falciparum malaria among schoolchildren in Bajil district of Hodeidah governorate, west of Yemen: Association with anaemia and underweight

“…It is also lower than the household-based malaria prevalence of 18.8% (136/735) reported from the southeastern governorate of Hadhramout [32], where over 99.0% of infections being caused by P. falciparum. However, it is substantially lower than those reported for schoolchildren from several African countries, including Malawi (60.0%), Kenya (42.0%), Uganda (27.6%), Cameroon (22.8-33.8%) and Tanzania (21.6-38.1%; 93/244) [33][34][35][36][37][38][39]. In contrast, it is higher than the rates reported among Kenyan children (4.3%) in a nationwide survey and asymptomatic schoolchildren from northwest Ethiopia (6.8%; 26/385) [40,41].…”

Uncomplicated falciparum malaria among schoolchildren in Bajil district of Hodeidah governorate, west of Yemen: Association with anaemia and underweight

“…It is also lower than the household-based malaria prevalence of 18.8% (136/735) reported from the south-eastern governorate of Hadhramout [32], where over 99.0% of infections being caused by P. falciparum. However, it is substantially lower than those reported for schoolchildren from several African countries, including Malawi (60.0%), Kenya (42.0%), Uganda (27.6%), Cameroon (22.8-33.8%) and Tanzania (21.6-38.1%; 93/244) [33][34][35][36][37][38][39]. In contrast, it is higher than the rates reported among Kenyan children (4.3%) in a nationwide survey and asymptomatic schoolchildren from northwest Ethiopia (6.8%;…”