The Prevalence Of Complicated Malaria In Children Under Five Years In Tiriri Health Centre Iv - Soroti District

Abstract

The research study was carried out in Tiriri Health Centre IV, Katine Sub County in

Soroti District. The researcher opted to identify the factors contributing to severe malaria

among children aged 0 – 5 years, in which interventions can be directed to alleviate these

factors for a lasting solution.

Soroti is one of the districts in Uganda surrounded by several wetlands and swamps,

people therefore live around swampy areas most affected by moist land with water logs.

This kind of village backgrounds provide good habitant for mosquitoes to bread hence

encouraging the continuous high prevalence of malaria in the district.

Tiriri Health Centre IV serves the communities of Katine, Tubur, Kamuda, Arapai,

Asuret, Gweri and Soroti Sub Counties respectively.

The major objective of the study therefore was to assess the complications of malaria in

children aged 5years and below who attend health care service in Tiriri health centre1V,

Soroti District. The researcher also sought to address the following specific objectives: -

to determine the common complications of malaria in children under five years who

receive treatment in Tiriri health centre IV, to identify common risk factors contributing

to complicated malaria in children aged 5 years and below and to determine the outcome

of complicated malaria for children aged 5 years and below as seen in Tiriri health centre

IV in Soroti district.

The research study looked into related literature extracted from health centre records

from both out-patients and in-patients registers. It also spelt out review of work done by

other researchers on assessment of malaria disease, causes and spread. It highlighted the

cause, control measures, prevention and treatment plus knowledge of people and attitude

towards control of malaria particularly in children less than five years of age.

The research used a retrospective cross sectional study in which the researcher followed

the available records backwards. Patients files, registers for in-patients, health facility

monthly report forms, weekly surveillance forms for notifiable diseases and other

available documents that gave information concerning malaria as a source of information.

A data collection form to suit the study was designed.

The study found out that there was need to maintain regular health education to the

community, need for insecticide treated mosquito nets to all pregnant mothers and

children under five. It further identified male children as being more susceptible to

complicated malaria. The researcher also found out the need for care givers to be

educated on clinical presentations of malaria in children under five. The research found at

that government needs to employ more health workers, organize seminars for health

workers in order to provide more knowledge on how to deal with malaria in children under five.