Risk Factors In Malaria Mortality Among Children In Northern Ghana: A Case Study At The Tamale Teaching Hospital

A.R. Abdul-Aziz, E. Harris and L. Munyakazi
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A.R. Abdul-Aziz: Lecturer in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics,Kumasi Polytechnic, Kumasi, Ghana
E. Harris: Lecturer in the Department of Mathematics,Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
L. Munyakazi: Associate Professor and Head of the Department of Mathematics and Statistics,Kumasi Polytechnic, Kumasi, Ghana

International Journal of Business and Social Research, 2012, vol. 2, issue 5, 35-45

Abstract: Malaria is hyper-endemic in Ghana, accounting for 44% of outpatient attendance, 13% of all hospital deaths, and 22% of mortality among children less than five years of age. The paper analyzed the risk factors of malaria mortality among children using a logistic regression model and also assessed the interaction effect between age and treatment of malaria patient. Secondary data was obtained from the inpatient morbidity and mortality returns register at Tamale Teaching Hospital, from 1st January 2008 to 31st December 2010. The results showed that risk factors such as referral status, age, distance, treatment and length of stay on admission were important predictors of malaria mortality. However, it was found that the risk factors; sex and season were not good predictors of malaria mortality. Finally, the interaction effect between age and treatment was found to be significant. It was recommended, among other things, that the government should provide more assessable roads and expand ambulance services to the various Districts/communities in and around the Tamale metropolis to facilitate referral cases.

Keywords: Malaria; Mortality; Risk factors; Children; Odds ratio (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2012
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:mir:mirbus:v:2:y:2012:i:5:p:35-45

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