Abstract:

Asymptomatic Plasmodium falciparum infections are very common in older children and can pose a great problem for malaria control programs. This study was a cross sectional study-design that looked at the prevalence of Plasmodium falciparum infection among school aged children in five primary schools in 3 districts in the Volta Region of Ghana. Questionnaires were administered and blood samples were collected for malaria detection using RDT and microscopy. Pearson chi square test was used to evaluate the association between P. falciparum infection and other variables in the study. A total of 550 primary school children were enrolled in this study. Three hundred and five children (55.45%) were positive for malaria with RDT and 249(45.27%) were malaria positive with microscopy. Children from Evangelical Presbyterian (EP) primary school in Afegame and Davanu primary schools, both in remote, rural and farming communities had the highest prevalence of P falciparum (RDT, 92, 74.80%, p<0.001; Microscopy, 73, 59.35%, p=0.007) and (RDT, 57, 72.15%, p<0.001; Microscopy, 36, 45.57% , p=0.007), respectively. There was a significant higher prevalence of RDT positive boys than girls seen in this study (152, 61.40%, p=0.023). A significant higher prevalence of P. falciparum infection was seen with RDT, in children whose mothers were farmers (109, 69.87%, p=0.001). There was a high prevalence of asymptomatic P. falciparum infection in the three districts, especially in rural areas. As a matter of urgency, malaria control programs should intensify efforts in these areas to reduce the burden of detrimental asymptomatic infections in school going children.

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