Prevalence and risk factors for malaria among pregnant women attending Fort Portal Regional Referral Hospital

Abstract

Malaria in pregnancy is still a major global, public and reproductive health problem. The pregnant woman is more predisposed to malaria and suffers more adverse consequences compared to the general population. The prevalence of malaria, both in the general population and pregnant women, is still unacceptably high more so in the LMICs of sub-Saharan Africa. The prevalence of malaria in Uganda is high with those more affected being pregnant women and children below the age of five years. To assess the prevalence and risk factors for malaria among pregnant women attending Fort Portal Regional Referral Hospital. It was a descriptive cross sectional study used. The prevalence of malaria in pregnancy was high at 16.27% with factors associated being rural residence low, maternal age, low education, low socioeconomic status, low gravidity and low parity. Increased ownership and used of insecticide treated mosquito net among pregnancy women and strengthen the health education on the reproductive health importance of malaria in all women in their reproductive age. Future study can be done to assess the intervention measures