Malaria prevalence and its sociodemographic determinants in febrile children- A hospital-based study in a developing community in South-East Nigeria

Background. Malaria remains one of the major contributors of child mortality in many developing countries in Africa. Identifying its determinants will help in prevention and prompt intervention in these settings. Methods. This cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted over an eight-month period. It enrolled 382 children who were presented with fever to the children outpatient and emergency unit of a tertiary hospital in South-east Nigeria. A structured questionnaire was used to collect information on socio-demographic factors. Blood film microscopy for malaria and parasite density was done on all subjects that tested positive for malaria. Result. The malaria prevalence rate was 16.7%, 26.7%, 29.9% and 46.2% in children!