Abstract:

Malaria remains a significant contributor to global morbidity and mortality rates especially in Sub-Saharan Africa. Accurate and timely diagnosis of malaria is crucial in enhancing control measures, reducing morbidity, and saving lives. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of Plasmodium spp. infection among high-risk populations, specifically children under five years old and pregnant women, while comparing results between Malaria Rapid Diagnostic Tests (RDT) and microscopy for enhanced diagnostic accuracy, planning and monitoring of malaria treatment and control interventions. A cross-sectional design was employed, involving 964 pregnant women receiving routine antenatal care and 999 under-five children presenting with febrile illnesses at three primary health care centers over a six-month period conducted in two phases. Quantitative data analysis was performed using SPSS version 20.0. Among the pregnant women, RDT indicated an overall malaria prevalence of 14.2%, while microscopy revealed 14.9%; whereas for under-five children, corresponding prevalence rates were 38.0% by RDT and 39.2% by microscopy. The study demonstrated consistent results between the two diagnostic tests across both study groups. The sensitivity and specificity of the malaria RDT were reported as 87% and 99% for the pregnant women group, and 92% and 97% for the under-five children group, respectively. While acknowledging the gold standard status of malaria microscopy, the study underscored the effectiveness of RDTs in diagnosing malaria, supported by their high sensitivity and specificity rates. Consequently, the study advocated for the preferential use of RDTs in resource-limited settings, particularly at primary healthcare facilities, for prompt and accurate case management.

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