Background: Malaria is a disease caused by parasite specie known as plasmodium. Plasmodium being p. falciparum, p. ovale, p. knowlesi of which p. falciparum is the most deadly followed by p. vivax. Malaria is entirely preventable and treatable however in 2012, it killed 1300 children every day or one child almost every minute (WHO, 2013) The prevalence of malaria among under five in Tanzania is estimated to be 9% however in Mwanza region it’s 19% different form other regions with prevalence of less than 1% such as Singida, Dar es Salaam, Zanzibar, Mbeya, Iringa and Kilimanjaro (THMIS, 2011-2012).
Objective: Was to determine the prevalence and predisposing factors of malaria among the under five in Kome island Sengerema district.
Methodology: The cross sectional study was conducted at Kome Island, Sengerema district in Mwanza region. This area was selected because of poor housing conditions which do not allow better placement of ITN, fishing activities especially during night which facilitate malaria transmission in the area, remoteness from district health hospital and lack of enough health personnel. It was conducted in Nyakasasa ward in four villages being; Buhama, Luhiza, Nyamiswi and Isenyi. Total of 249 participants attending RCHC and who were willing to participate by responding to the questionnaire questions and concerted the blood to be drawn from their under-five for malaria testing using MRDT were involved. Well-structured questionnaire were used to determine the malaria predisposing factors and MRDT were used to test the under-five for malaria to determine the malaria incidence which was compared with the average prevalence of three years ago data which were obtained in Sengerema DMO office. The data were entered is SPSS version 17 and analyzed to determine the frequency and percentages of the variable and cross tabulations were used to determine the risk of the frequency and percentages of the variable and cross tabulations were used to determine the risk of the current situation of ITN and house environments with transmission of the under-five malaria.
Results: The incidence of under-five malaria was 17.67% lower than three years average prevalence of the underfive in Sengerema district which was 26.93% and lower than Mwanza region prevalence which is 19% but high than the country prevalence which is 9% (THMIS, 2011-2012). However the prevalence was nearest equal to other reported in the island such as island of Annobon (Equatorial Guinea) which was 17% (Jorge Cano et al, 2007). The prevalence is higher considering most of tested children had no clinical symptoms and the study was conducted in a dry seasons. Only 74.3% owned at least one ITN and among them 36.76% had torn ITN. Only 73.49% fumigated their house during IRS program however fearing over growth flea, bedbugs and jigger was reported the barrier of the taken outside house which include witchcraft instruments. The study showed increased 1.7 risk to get malaria if torn ITN is used compared with in good order ITN and living proximal to mosquito prevention by 49.8%. Also 85.10% can easy access the ant-malaria.
Conclusion: It conclusion the study revealed the underfive malaria incidence at Nyakasasa ward in Kome island to be 17.67% and annual prevalence of 26.60% which is unaccepted high. Due to limited health care services preventive medicine is crucial in the island. The ITNs and IRS coverage still need a public health concerns. Despite a lot of participants to report having the rooms which support ITNs use it does not correlate with what was observed. The collaborative approach is needed to increase awareness of malaria in the island which will make community members to protect themselves and their underfive against malaria even without as assistance of NGOs or Government in the future. Education on malaria preventions program should be given by health professional before starting of the program and extensive observational study is needed to assess the environmental and housing risk on malaria transmission preferably during rainy season.
Wurzburg Road 35, BMC Premises, Post Code: 33102: P. O. Box 1464, Mwanza – Tanzania: Phone: +255 28 298 3384: Fax: +255 28 298 3386: Email: vc@bugando.ac.tz : www.bugando.ac.tz