Determinants of acquiring malaria among displaced people in Khartoum state, Sudan

A cross-sectional descriptive study was carried out among displaced people in Khartoum state to determine risk factors associated with malaria. Data were collected from 856 households about sociodemographic characteristics, history of malaria, and knowledge, attitudes and treatment-seeking behaviour. Overall, 68.2% reported a malaria attack among household members in the previous year. Risk of malaria attack was significantly associated with tribe, language, education, water supply and food expenditure. The highest rates of attack were among local language speakers [85.5%] and illiterate residents [70.4%]. Half the respondents [50.2%] delayed seeking treatment for malaria. Knowledge, attitudes and practices had no association with malaria attacks, except for a 4.7-fold increased risk of malaria when obtaining water from carts rather than wells

Determinants of malaria mortality among displaced people in Khartoum state, Sudan

To find the determinants of malaria mortality among displaced people, across-sectional descriptive study using verbal autopsy was carried out in 2 camps in Khartoum state, Sudan. The heads of 856 households were interviewed about household characteristics, and malaria knowledge, attitudes and behaviour. They reported 81 malaria deaths during the previous year, 3.5% of all household members; 70 [86.4%] were children. Fever, diarrhoea, vomiting and headache were the most prevalent symptoms before death. Having a malaria death in the household was significantly associated with poor knowledge about malaria and, surprisingly, with better education. Poor treatment-seeking behaviour and poor attitudes towards malaria were not associated with higher mortality. However, mortality was significantly higher among households obtaining water by cart than from a well