Malaria infection and anemia status in under-five children from Southern Tanzania where seasonal malaria chemoprevention is being implemented

Richard O Mwaiswelo, Bruno P Mmbando, Frank Chacky, Fabrizio Molteni, Ally Mohamed, Samwel Lazaro, Sylvia F Mkalla, Bushukatale Samuel and Billy Ngasala

PLOS ONE, 2021, vol. 16, issue 12, 1-16

Abstract: Background: Malaria and anemia remain major public health challenges in Tanzania. Household socioeconomic factors are known to influence these conditions. However, it is not clear how these factors influence malaria transmission and anemia in Masasi and Nanyumbu Districts. This study presents findings on malaria and anemia situation in under-five children and its influencing socioeconomic factors in Masasi and Nanyumbu Districts, surveyed as part of an ongoing seasonal malaria chemoprevention operational study. Methods: A community-based cross-sectional survey was conducted between August and September 2020. Finger-prick blood samples collected from children aged 3–59 months were used to test for malaria infection using malaria rapid diagnostic test (mRDT), thick smears for determination of asexual and sexual parasitemia, and thin smear for parasite speciation. Hemoglobin concentration was measured using a HemoCue spectrophotometer. A structured questionnaire was used to collect household socioeconomic information from parents/caregivers of screened children. The prevalence of malaria was the primary outcome. Chi-square tests, t-tests, and logistic regression models were used appropriately. Results: Overall mRDT-based malaria prevalence was 15.9% (373/2340), and was significantly higher in Nanyumbu (23.7% (167/705) than Masasi District (12.6% (206/1635), p

Date: 2021
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:plo:pone00:0260785

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0260785

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