ISSN 2360-7963
Abstract
The study sought to investigate malaria in pregnancy among women of childbearing age in primary health centers in Isialangwa North L.G.A. from 2017 to 2022. The study aimed to determine the socio-demographic characteristics of women, identify which trimester is associated with a higher incidence of malaria, assess whether age influences malaria during pregnancy, and ascertain the mortality rate during the study period. The study adopted a retrospective research design from 2017 to 2022. The study’s population consisted of the records of all women of childbearing age (15-49 years) who attended antenatal care during the years under study. A simple random sampling technique was adopted to sample 400 respondents. The instrument for data collection was a structured checklist. We analyzed the collected data using descriptive statistics. Findings from this study revealed that a predominant proportion, 49.0%, falls within the 20-29 age group, indicating a youthful study population. The study also revealed a significant association between trimester and the presence of malaria parasites among pregnant women, with 21.4% testing positive in the first trimester, 27.8% in the second, and a notable increase to 52.2% in the third trimester. Similarly, the study identified a compelling association between age groups and the presence of malaria parasites during pregnancy. Among individuals aged 15-19, 75% tested positive for malaria parasites, while 25% tested negative; the prevalence rose to the peak of 82.1% in the 20-24 age group. However, prevalence gradually diminished in older age groups, reaching 25% in the 40-45 age group. The study also revealed that the incidence of unsafe deliveries decreased from 26.4% to 7.7% between 2017 and 2022. This implies that there are significant improvements in healthcare infrastructure and maternal care practices in health facilities. The study still suggests enhanced maternal care practices to further reduce the mortality rate of pregnant mothers.
Keywords: Malaria, Pregnancy, Trimester, Susceptibility, Parasites.