Prevalence and determinants of malaria infection among pregnant women attending antenatal clinic in Ejisu government hospital in Ghana: A cross-sectional study

by Catherine Kroamah Dwumfour, Victoria Bubunyo Bam, Lydia Boampong Owusu, Collins Atta Poku, Rhoda Dewe Kpabitey, Priscilla Aboagye, Amshariatu Suntaa Ibrahim

Malaria in pregnancy is a global public health problem with the majority of its impact seen in sub-Saharan Africa. Pregnant women with malaria infection are at risk of adverse maternal outcomes. In Ghana, malaria in pregnancy accounts for about 17.6% of outpatient department attendance. Ashanti region is among the three regions with the highest malaria prevalence in pregnancy, particularly in the Ejisu Municipality. The study, therefore, assessed the prevalence and determinants of malaria infection among pregnant women seeking antenatal care at the Ejisu Government Hospital in Ghana.

A cross-sectional study design with a convenience sampling technique was used to select 140 respondents for the study. Primary data such as age and residence of respondents were collected using a questionnaire and secondary data such as gestational age and Sulphadoxine Pyrimethamine (SP) administration were collected from clients’ maternal health record booklet. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis were used to assess the association between the malaria infection and the independent variables, and a p-value of < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

The overall prevalence of malaria in pregnancy was 24 (17.1%). Most of the respondents had received counselling and health education 126 (90%), two or more doses of SP 95 (87.2%), Insecticide Treated Net (ITN) 99 (70.7%) and were sleeping under ITN 104 (74.3%). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed a statistically significant association between malaria infection and sleeping under ITN (AOR = 0.05; 95% CI = 0.01–0.28, p< .001), the use of insecticide mosquito spray (AOR = 0.27; 95% CI = 0.09–0.84, p = .045) and reason for not using ITN due to the use of other preventive measures (AOR = 0.06; 95% CI = 0.01–0.61, p = .017).

There was a high prevalence of malaria infection among study respondents despite the high usage of preventive measures for malaria in this study. It is therefore crucial that stakeholders in malaria control identify effective strategies to curb malaria transmission globally.