Prevalence and Factors Associated with Malaria Among Children Less Than Five Years Attending Fort Portal Regional Referal Hospital

ABSTRACT Background: Malaria in children still remains a health burden no matter the several MCPs like use of LLIN, put in place to help eradicate malaria. According to WHO, Children under 5 years of age is one of most vulnerable groups affected by malaria. In Africa, about 285 000 children died before their fifth birthdays in 2016. When exposed to plasmodium falciparum, children and pregnant mothers are at increased risk of its fatalness, say severe anemia, premature delivery, delivery of low birth babies, cerebral malaria (Zhong et al., 2009). Of children who tested positive for malaria, the prevalence of any anemia was 79%, mild anemia 21%, moderate anemia 50% and severe anemia 8%. Thus Malaria is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in Uganda. It’s especially lethal among pregnant and children under five years. Malaria account for 25-40% of all outpatient attendances, 20% of all admissions and 14% of all inpatient deaths. > 90% of the nation is highly endemic, with more than 50% of population experiencing high transmission level of 50 or more infective mosquito bites per person per year and yet children and pregnant mothers are the most affected groups (Uganda Malaria Control Policy, 2006, Uganda malaria Control Strategic Plan 2005/6-2009/10. Objective: To assess the prevalence of malaria among children less than 5 years who attended FPRRH from July 2018 to July 2019. Methodology: A cross sectional retrospective and a qualitative analytical survey using qustionnaires were used in the study among < 2 years with 19.5% (08). mosquito nets use stands at 75.9% (85) and 24.1% (27) do not. Children who were living in the rural areas were 87.5% (98) and 24.1% (27).in urban areas. Houses with earthed floors were more than a half 58.0% (65), followed by sand floor houses with 19.6% (22), then brick floor houses with 10.8% (12), cement floor houses had 09 (8.0%) and finally tile floor houses had 3.6% (04). Whereas Mud wall houses stands at 60.7% (68), sand wall houses at 25.0% (28), brick wall houses with 8.9% (10) and cemented walls were 5.4% (06). 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

DECRALATION............................................................................................................................ i

APPROVAL .................................................................................................................................. ii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT...........................................................................................................iii

DEDICATION.............................................................................................................................. iv

LIST OF TABLES ...................................................................................................................... vii

TABLE OF FIGURES...............................................................................................................viii

ABBREVIATIONS...................................................................................................................... ix

ABSTRACT................................................................................................................................... x

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION......................................................................................... 1

1.1Background ............................................................................................................................ 1

1.2 Problem statement................................................................................................................. 6

1.3 Study justifications................................................................................................................ 7

1.4 Objectives of the Study ......................................................................................................... 7

1.4.1 General Objective........................................................................................................... 7

1.4.2 Specific Objectives......................................................................................................... 7

1.5 Research questions................................................................................................................ 7

1.6 Conceptual framework .......................................................................................................... 8

CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW............................................................................ 9

2.0 Introduction ........................................................................................................................... 9

2.1 Prevalence of Malaria among children