Abstract
There is a decline in the global incidence, morbidity, and mortality of malaria. However, approximately 20% of hospital admissions and 10% of hospital deaths in Nigeria have been attributed to malaria. This secondary data analysis was conducted to examine the pattern severe malaria in Plateau State in the face of declining global malaria infection. Severe malaria-specific Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (IDRS) records of Plateau State of Nigeria over a five-¬year period were reviewed. A total of 38,467 cases of severe malaria were reported between January 2013 and December 2017. The highest number of cases 14098 (36.65%) was reported in 2016 and the least number of cases 950 (2.47%) were reported in 2014. A total of 362 severe malaria deaths was reported within the same period with a case fatality rate (CFR) of 0.94%. The highest CFR 1.43% was recorded in 2015 while the least CFR 0.00% was recorded in 2014. The 0-28 days age group had the highest CFR (3.13%). The comparative monthly trend of severe malaria cases did not follow any consistent pattern during the 5 years under review. However, as of 2017, the trends of total cases per year and CFRs were on the decline. In conclusion, the overall number of cases and deaths of severe malaria is declining in Plateau State but the CFR among neonates remains high. Therefore, prevention and control efforts should be intensified in Plateau State, in order to achieve malaria elimination in the State.
Highlights
Malaria is a protozoan infection of the red blood cells transmitted by the bite of a blood-feeding female anopheline mosquito [1]
A total of 38, 467 cases of severe malaria were reported between January 2013 and December 2017
A total of 362 severe malaria deaths were reported within the same period with a case fatality rate (CFR) of 0.94%
Summary
Malaria is a protozoan infection of the red blood cells transmitted by the bite of a blood-feeding female anopheline mosquito [1]. Five species of Plasmodium have been known to infect humans: Plasmodium malariae, Plasmodium vivax, Plasmodium ovale and Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium knowlesi. P. falciparum is responsible for the highest morbidity and mortality attributed to malaria infection. This parasite exhibits characteristics like cytoadherence, sequestration, resetting, and aggregation, which leads to micro-circulatory obstruction in falciparum malaria [3, 4]. This obstruction in the microcirculation leads to end-organ dysfunction [5,6,7,8,9]
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