Sahel Medical Journal

ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Year
: 2021  |  Volume : 24  |  Issue : 2  |  Page : 70--74

Asymptomatic malaria parasitaemia among HIV infected children and adolescents


Surajudeen Oyeleke Bello1, Esther Solomon Audu2, Ikrama Hassan3, Efe Abolodje4, Ishaku Bako5 
1 Department of Paediatrics, Dalhatu Araf Specialist Hospital Lafia Nasarawa State, Makurdi, Benue State, Nigeria
2 Department of Medical Microbiology, Dalhatu Araf Specialist Hospital Lafia Nasarawa State, Makurdi, Benue State, Nigeria
3 Department of Public Health, Dalhatu Araf Specialist Hospital Lafia Nasarawa State, Makurdi, Benue State, Nigeria
4 Department of Paediatrics, Delta State Teaching Hospital Oghara Delta State, Makurdi, Benue State, Nigeria
5 Department of Public Health, Benue State University Teaching Hospital, Makurdi, Benue State, Nigeria

Correspondence Address:
Dr. Surajudeen Oyeleke Bello
Department of Paediatrics, Dalhatu Araf Specialist Hospital, Lafia, Nasarawa State
Nigeria

Background: Malaria manifests with life-threatening manifestations resulting in hospital admissions and sometimes death may ensue. This is more devastating among children due to high susceptibility resulting from impaired immune system following severe malaria. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) coinfection with malaria further compromises the immune system and increases the vulnerability. The effect of co-trimoxazole prophylaxis in curtailing malaria has not being well evaluated in our environment where both malaria and HIV are endemic. This study sets out to determine the magnitude of asymptomatic malaria among HIV-infected children and adolescents receiving care at our facility. Study Design: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study. Materials and Methods: A prospective study among HIV-infected children aged 2–18 years was enrolled in our care. Nonprobability convenience sampling was used to recruit individuals who fulfilled the criteria. Questionnaire and patients' medical records were used to gather some data. A sample was taken for malaria parasite microscopy. The analysis was done using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 20. Categorical variables were presented as percentages and association assessed using Chi-square test, whereas continuous variables were presented as mean and standard deviation, and the association between two means was checked using Student's t-test. Results: The mean age of the study population is 7.02 ± 2.97 years. Of the 420 participants in this study, 92 (45.7%) had confirmed malaria. There was no significant difference in the gender, age groups, and viral loads of patients with malaria. Conclusion: There is a high prevalence of malaria coinfection with HIV in this study.


How to cite this article:
Bello SO, Audu ES, Hassan I, Abolodje E, Bako I. Asymptomatic malaria parasitaemia among HIV infected children and adolescents.Sahel Med J 2021;24:70-74


How to cite this URL:
Bello SO, Audu ES, Hassan I, Abolodje E, Bako I. Asymptomatic malaria parasitaemia among HIV infected children and adolescents. Sahel Med J [serial online] 2021 [cited 2024 Mar 29 ];24:70-74
Available from: https://www.smjonline.org/article.asp?issn=1118-8561;year=2021;volume=24;issue=2;spage=70;epage=74;aulast=Bello;type=0