Background. Malaria is a major public health problem in Ethiopia where an estimated 68% of the population lives in malarious areas. Studying its prevalence is necessary to implement effective control measures. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine seven-year slide positive rate of malaria. Methods. A retrospective study was conducted at Metema Hospital from September 2006 to August 2012. Seven-year malaria cases data had been collected from laboratory registration book. Results. A total of 55,833 patients were examined for malaria; of these, 9486 (17%) study subjects were positive for malaria. The predominant Plasmodium species detected was P. falciparum (8602) (90.7%) followed by P. vivax (852) (9%). A slide positive rate of malaria within the last seven years (2006–2012) was almost constant with slight fluctuation. The age groups of 5–14 years old were highly affected by malariainfection (1375) (20.1%), followed by 15–29？years old (3986) (18.5%). High slide positive rate of malaria occurred during spring (September–November), followed by summer (June–August). Conclusion. Slide positive rate of malaria was high in study area. Therefore, health planners and administrators should give intensive health education for the community. 1. Background Malaria is a life-threatening infectious disease caused by the protozoan parasite called Plasmodium. It is a leading public health problem in Ethiopia where an estimated 68% of the population lives in malarious areas and three-quarters of the total land mass is regarded as malarious [1] with two-thirds of the country’s population at risk [2]. This makes malaria the number one health problem in Ethiopia with an average of 5 million cases per year [3]. The disease causes 70,000 deaths each year and accounts for 17% of outpatient visits to health institutions [4]. Four main species of malaria infect humans: Plasmodium falciparum (P. falciparum), P. malariae, P. ovale, and P. vivax. P. falciparum is the most highly virulent species and is responsible for almost all of the 1.7–2.5 million deaths worldwide caused by malaria [5, 6]. Malaria mostly affects children under the age of 5？years and pregnant women in developing countries [7]. Pregnant women are more vulnerable because they experience depressed immunity during pregnancy, endangering the lives of both mother and the child [8]. A similar problem arises with children below the age of five as their immunity systems are not yet fully developed. It is estimated that every 45 seconds a child dies of malaria worldwide [9]. Malaria is seasonal in most parts of
References
[1]
FMoH, National Five Year Strategic Plan for Malaria Prevention and Control in Ethiopia, 2006–2010, Ministry of Health, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 2006.
[2]
N. Kassahun, “Ethiopia Roll Back Malaria Consultative Mission: Essential Actions to Support the attainment of the Abuja Targets,” Ethiopia RBM Country Consultative Mission Final Report, 2004.
[3]
S. Gabriel and V. James, “Developing malaria earky warning system for Ethiopia,” in 25th Annual ESRI International User Conference, National Center for EROS, San Diego, Calif, USA, Paper no. UC2409, 2005.
[4]
President’s Malaria Initiative. Malaria Operational Plan (MOP) Ethiopia. FY, 2008.
[5]
M. Aikawa, “Human cerebral malaria,” The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, vol. 39, no. 1, pp. 3–10, 1988.
[6]
R. S. Bray and R. E. Sinden, “The sequestration of Plasmodium falciparum infected erythrocytes in the placenta,” Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, vol. 73, no. 6, pp. 716–719, 1979.
[7]
P. Martens and L. Hall, “Malaria on the move: human population movement and malaria transmission,” Emerging Infectious Diseases, vol. 6, no. 2, pp. 28–45, 2000.
[8]
J. Sachs and P. Malaney, “The economic and social burden of malaria,” Nature, vol. 415, no. 6872, pp. 680–685, 2002.
[9]
World Health Organization and UNICEF, World Malaria Report 2008, WHO, Geneva, Switzerland.
[10]
W. Deressa, A. Ali, and F. Enqusellassie, “Self-treatment of malaria in rural communities, Butajira, southern Ethiopia,” Bulletin of the World Health Organization, vol. 81, no. 4, pp. 261–268, 2003.
[11]
N. A. Tulu, “Malaria,” in The Ecology of Health and Disease in Ethiopia, H. Kloos and A. Z. Zein, Eds., pp. 341–352, Westview Press, Boulder, Colo, USA, 2nd edition, 1993.
[12]
G. Zhou, N. Minakawa, A. K. Githeko, and G. Yan, “Association between climate variability and malaria epidemics in the East Africian highlands,” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, vol. 101, no. 8, pp. 2375–2380, 2004.
[13]
FMoH, Guideline for Malaria Epidemic Prevention and Control in Ethiopia, Ministry of Health, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 2nd edition, 2004.
[14]
S. C. Murphy and J. G. Breman, “GAPS in the childhood malaria burden in Africa: cerebral malaria, neurological sequelae, anemia, respiratory distress, hypoglycemia, and complications of pregnancy,” The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, vol. 64, no. 1-2, pp. 57–67, 2001.
[15]
W. Deressa, D. Olana, and S. Chibsa, “Treatment seeking of malaria patients in east Shewa of Oromia,” Ethiopian Journal of Health Development, vol. 17, pp. 9–15, 2003.
[16]
A. Abebe, M. Dagnachew, M. Mikrie, A. Meaza, and G. Melkamu, “Ten year trend analysis of malaria prevalence in Kola Diba, North Gondar, Northwest Ethiopia,” Parasites and Vectors, vol. 5, article 173, 2012.
[17]
K. Karunamoorthi and M. Bekele, “Prevalence of malaria from peripheral blood smears examination: a 1-year retrospective study from the Serbo Health Center, Kersa Woreda, Ethiopia,” Journal of Infection and Public Health, vol. 2, no. 4, pp. 171–176, 2009.
[18]
Federal Republic of Ethiopia Ministry of Health, National Guide Lines, Federal Republic of Ethiopia ministry of health, Addis Abeba, Ethiopia, 3rd edition, 2012.
[19]
K. Y. Asnakew, G. Sucharita, T. H. Afework, O. D. Dereje, and P. P. Hrishikesh, “Spatial analysis of malaria incidence at the village level in areas with unstable transmission in Ethiopia,” International Journal of Health Geographics, vol. 8, pp. 5–16, 2009.
[20]
D. Sintasath, “National malaria survey (2000-2001),” Activity Report 134, The state of Ministry of Health of Eritrea, 2004.
[21]
T. A. Ghebreyesus, M. Haile, K. H. Witten et al., “Household risk factors for malaria among children in the Ethiopian highlands,” Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, vol. 94, no. 1, pp. 17–21, 2000.
[22]
K. Karunamoorthi and M. Bekele, “Prevalence of malaria from peripheral blood smears examination: a 1-year retrospective study from the Serbo Health Center, Kersa Woreda, Ethiopia,” Journal of Infection and Public Health, vol. 2, no. 4, pp. 171–176, 2009.
[23]
J. M. Ramos, F. Reyes, and A. Tesfamariam, “Change in epidemiology of malaria infections in a rural area in Ethiopia,” Journal of Travel Medicine, vol. 12, no. 3, pp. 155–156, 2005.
[24]
T. Solomon, B. Yeshambel, T. Takele, M. Girmay, M. Tesfaye, and P. Beyene, “Malaria pattern observed in the highland fringe of Butajira, Southern Ethiopia: a ten-year retrospective analysis from parasitological and metrological data,” Malaria World Journal, vol. 3, article 5, 2012.
[25]
A. Woyessa, T. Gebre-Michael, and A. Ali, “An indigenous malaria transmission in the outskirts of Addis Ababa, Akaki Town and its environs,” Ethiopian Journal of Health Development, vol. 18, pp. 2–7, 2004.
[26]
Ministry of Health, Guideline for Malaria Vector Control in Ethiopia: Malaria and other Vector Born Diseases Prevention and Control Team Diseases Prevention, Control Department, MOH, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 2002.
[27]
B. K. Mandel, E. G. L. Wilkins, E. M. Dunbar, and R. M. White, Lecture Notes on the Infective Disease, Blackwell Scientific Publications, 4th edition, 1984.
[28]
World Health Organization, World Malaria Report, WHO, Geneva, Switzerland, 2005.
[29]
S. Tesfaye, Y. Belyhun, T. Teklu, T. Mengesha, and B. Petros, “Malaria prevalence pattern observed in the highland fringe of Butajira, Southern Ethiopia: a longitudinal study from parasitological and entomological survey,” Malaria Journal, vol. 10, article 153, 2011.
[30]
B. Chala and B. Petros, “Malaria in Finchaa sugar factory area in western Ethiopia: assessment of malaria as public health problem in Finchaa sugar factory based on clinical records and parasitological surveys, western Ethiopia,” Journal of Parasitology and Vector Biology, vol. 3, pp. 52–58, 2011.
[31]
T. Adhanom Ghebreyesus, W. Deressa, K. H. Witten, A. Getachew, and T. Seboxa, Epidemiology and Ecology of Health and Disease in Ethiopia, Shama Books, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 1st edition, 2006.
[32]
L. Molineaux, “The epidemiology of malaria as an explanation of its distribution, including some implications for its control,” in Malaria Principles and Practice of Malariology, W. Wernsdorfer, Ed., pp. 913–998, Churchill Livingstone, Great Britain, UK, 1988.
