Prevalence and Outcome of Malaria at the Tombel Health District: A Retrospective Study

Background: World Health Organisation World Malaria Report estimates that 247 million malaria cases occurred in 2021 with 84 malaria endemic countries, an increase from 245 million (0.033%) in 2020. Malaria in Africa still account for the leading cause of under five mortality, leading to over two-third of malaria death in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Methods: This was a hospital based cross sectional study that utilized one year hospital data spanning from July 2022 to July 2023 extracted from the hospital out patients department register for all patients received at the Tombel Health District during that time. Administrative consent was given by the Director of the district hospital as these study did not required an ethical approval. Age, presumptive diagnosis, laboratory investigations, definitive diagnosis and treatment status were the data collected from the registers.

Results: The study had 1177 hospital files (individualized) with majority of the files from 2022 (52.4%) and October 2022, having the highest representation (23.4%). Majority of the participant being female (61.3%). The prevalence of hospital-malaria was 28% with 47.1% of the confirmed cases of malaria requiring admission.

Conclusion: Malaria is still a burden among inhabitants in the Tombel Health District, due to risk factors such as: economic status, poor road, low health personnel, swampy areas, nature of jobs and as well negatively impact their socio-economic status. More actions are needed to be made among inhabitants at the Tombel Health District to reduce this outcome and prevalence observed.