ABSTRACT
Since antiquity, malaria had plagued humans claiming millions of lives annually around the world. In addition to its health toll, billions of dollars are lost every year to the exorbitant cost of treatment, premature death, loss of opportunities, capital intensive public health and government interventions to curb the menace. This had intensified global malaria eradication efforts over the last few decades leading to the successful elimination of the disease from most developed countries drastically reducing global malaria mortality to hundreds of thousands yearly. Still, developing countries of the world especially those in tropical Africa remain the worst hit and children are the most vulnerable group generally accounting for > 50% of all malaria mortality. The world actually experienced a giant leap forward between 2000 and 2015 when global malaria mortality rate declined by a remarkable 25%and by a significant 69% in children less than five. Also, during this period a staggering 70% of malaria cases were averted due to strengthened malaria intervention. Some of this step forward was also attributed to increasing urbanization and overall economic development across the nation’s leading to improved housing and nutrition. However, years later, progress has been relatively slower and seemed to have stalled. Nonetheless, the impacts of control strategies have saved millions of lives universally. But to save more lives and eliminate malaria from highest risk countries like in tropical Africa, more efforts are required at both international and national capacity through the funding of research and malaria projects, effective surveillance and response, strengthened health system and mosquito vector control strategies, and development of new, improved antimalarial intervention tools like diagnostics, prophylactics, therapeutics and vaccines. Also, the role of human activity and lifestyle in the fight against malaria cannot be overemphasized
ABSTRACT
Aim:Agrarian settlements in Nigeria possess a lot of factors that predisposes the populace to malaria. The present study focused on the evaluation of three-year prevalence of malaria in rice farm settlements, South-East Nigeria.Study Design:The study was a retrospective descriptive survey designed to evaluate the prevalence of malaria infection between January 2015 and December 2017. A total of 29, 458 records were examined, 21, 559 and 7, 899 from Ebonyi and Enugu States respectively for three years (2015 –2017). Male comprises 11, 453 of the records while the female was 18, 005.Place and Duration:Southeastern Nigeria \three yearsOriginal Research Article Methodology:Preparation of thick films blood smears for microscopyfollowing standard methods.Results: Overall, 12, 746 (43.3%) were positive for malaria parasites, 7, 651 (35.4%) and 5, 115 (64.8%) from Ebonyi and Enugu respectively.Prevalence of the infection was similar between male and female in Ebonyi State (35.5% vs. 35.3%, χ2= 0.044, df = 1, p = 0.834); but significantly higher in female compared to male in Enugu State (69.7% vs. 55.7%, χ2= 154.808, df = 1, p = 0.0001).Conclusion: There was high prevalence of malaria infection in rice farm settlements, south-east Nigeria