PREVALENCE OF MALARIA AND ITS ASSOCIATED RISK FACTORS AMONG SUSPECTED INDIVIDUALS ATTENDING GAMBELLA REGIONAL HOSPITAL, GAMBELLA TOWN, WESTERN ETHIOPIA

G/eyesus, Tesfagabr 101 PAGES (21655 WORDS) Biology Thesis

Abstract:

Globally malaria remains among the deadliest leading cause of morbidity and mortality. In Ethiopia the public health and socio-economic impact of this disease is huge.This study was aimed at assessing the current situation of malaria and its associated risk factors among patients attending Gambella Regional Hospital. The study was done in a time when malaria prevalence is high: during September to October, 2018. It involved hospital based crosssectional survey of malaria cases, use of retrospective malaria records of patients from Gambella Regional Hospital and metrological records of the last ten years. Furthermore,a structured and pretested questionnaires were used to assess the respondents’ sociodemographic characteristics, knowledge, awareness related to the ways of transmission, prevention and their practice and use of insecticide treated nets. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS version 20. Thick and thin blood films were prepared from 400 individuals to determine malaria prevalence which was 23.8%. P.falciparum and P.vivax were the two major malaria species in the study area accounting for 87.4% and 12.6% respectively. The results of the study confirmed that there was a significant difference in prevalence of malaria between age groups (p