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Aug 31, 2010Keywords:
Malaria Epidemiology Seasons Temporal Variation Kano.
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Temporal variation of malaria occurrence in kano municipal local government area
Abstract
Malaria is currently affecting more people in the World than any other disease and no single measure of control through the use of drugs seems effective. This study examined the temporal variation in the occurrence of malaria infection in Kano Municipal L.G.A. Secondary sources were used to generate data for the study. Relevant information was extracted from the bed head ticket (case files) of all in-patients of the health institutions in the study area. And information relating to
socio demographic characteristics of patients and temporal pattern (i.e. annual, seasonal, and monthly variation) of malaria in the study area were extracted and analyzed, including 16,601 recorded hospital malaria cases of in patients between 2001 and 2005. The disease was found to affect females (54%) more than males (46%) and children in age 0-5 and 6-10 years accounted for 18.6% and 15.1% respectively. Seasonally, the disease was found to be more rampant in dry
seasons (mid-September to mid-May) than in the wet season (mid-May to mid-September) accounting for 63.58% and 36.42 % respectively. The result of statistical test shows that there is no significance difference in the occurrence of the disease between dry season and wet season at 5% level of significance (P≤ 0.05). The trend of the occurrence was found to be increasing annually
with the highest incidence in the year 2005 constituting 34% followed by the year 2004 and 2002 accounting for 25% and 16% respectively. Casual observation in the study area revealed that, many factors are believed to have contributed to the increasing trend which includes the presence of open gutters, stagnant water in the ponds, improper waste disposal and the congested
settlement pattern that facilitates the malaria occurrence and related diseases. It is recommended that keeping the environment clean by maintaining proper sanitation is the best solution, and government should provide mosquito nets and drugs at an affordable price to the general public in order to prevent the disease.
socio demographic characteristics of patients and temporal pattern (i.e. annual, seasonal, and monthly variation) of malaria in the study area were extracted and analyzed, including 16,601 recorded hospital malaria cases of in patients between 2001 and 2005. The disease was found to affect females (54%) more than males (46%) and children in age 0-5 and 6-10 years accounted for 18.6% and 15.1% respectively. Seasonally, the disease was found to be more rampant in dry
seasons (mid-September to mid-May) than in the wet season (mid-May to mid-September) accounting for 63.58% and 36.42 % respectively. The result of statistical test shows that there is no significance difference in the occurrence of the disease between dry season and wet season at 5% level of significance (P≤ 0.05). The trend of the occurrence was found to be increasing annually
with the highest incidence in the year 2005 constituting 34% followed by the year 2004 and 2002 accounting for 25% and 16% respectively. Casual observation in the study area revealed that, many factors are believed to have contributed to the increasing trend which includes the presence of open gutters, stagnant water in the ponds, improper waste disposal and the congested
settlement pattern that facilitates the malaria occurrence and related diseases. It is recommended that keeping the environment clean by maintaining proper sanitation is the best solution, and government should provide mosquito nets and drugs at an affordable price to the general public in order to prevent the disease.
