Malaria Among Pregnant Women in Bossaso City, Somalia: Cross Sectional Study Design

Abstract

Malaria is a protozoan-caused parasitic infection of the genus Plasmodium. Approximately 25 million pregnant women in sub-Saharan Africa live at risk of Malaria. This study aims to address the prevalence of Malaria and its associated factors among pregnant women in Bossaso, Somalia. A health institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 422 pregnant women in Bossaso General Hospital (BGH) using an interview-administered questionnaire and malaria diagnosis confirmation, which was done on microscope-based laboratory techniques. The collected data were analyzed. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression models were employed to identify factors associated with Malaria. The overall prevalence of Malaria was found to be 20.9% [95%CI (15.9%, 25.9%)]. Of these, 64 (75.3%), 19 (22.4%), and 2 (2.4%) were caused by Plasmodium falciparum, Plasmodium vivax, and mixed infection, respectively. The factors like the presence of water pond sites around the house or vicinity [AOR= 6.5, 95% CI (1.6, 20.5)] and always using insecticide-treated bed nets (ITNs) [AOR=0.1, 95%CI (0.01, 0.88)] were found to be significantly associated with Malaria during pregnancy. The prevalence of Malaria among pregnant women in the study area was found to be high; Thus, this study emphasized the need to provide health education and consultation to pregnant women on the appropriate malaria preventive methods and continue strengthening other interventions.