Housing conditions and Plasmodium falciparum infection: protective effect of iron-sheet roofed houses

In a cross-sectional study design, 661 children aged six to 60 months were randomly selected from three rural and one semi-urban site at the end of the rainy season (November 2003). The children were screened for fever and tested for Plasmodium falciparum infection. In addition, data on bed net use and house characteristics was collected from the household were each child lived. Using adjusted odds ratios, children living in house roofed with iron-sheet were compared with those in house with mud or grass roof.Overall P. falciparum infection prevalence was 22.8 % with a significant variation between (Chi-square, p < 0.0001). The prevalence in Cissé (33.3 %) and Goni (30.6 %) were twice times more than in Nouna (15.2 %) and Kodougou (13.2 %). After adjusting for age, sex, use of bed net and housing conditions, children living in houses with mud roofs had significantly higher risk of getting P. falciparum infection compared to those living in iron-sheet roofed houses (Odds Ratio 2.6; 95% Confidence Interval, 1.4–4.7).These results suggest that house characteristics should be taken into consideration when designing health intervention against P. falciparum infection and particular attention should be paid to children living in houses with mud roofs.Malaria, a preventable disease, is still one of the most important causes of morbidity and mortality in developing countries, especially in sub Saharan Africa [1]. For decades, a number of initiatives have been undertaken to control the disease and reduce it related burden. Unfortunately, the success of these actions remains restricted to some specific areas [2,3]. An increase in the malaria burden is envisaged due to drug resistance, breakdown of health care systems and environmental changes [4]. The limited success of a global approach to malaria eradication can be attributed to the difference in epidemiology, environment and socio-economic conditions from one setting to another. There is, therefore, a need to understand co