Abstract
Evidence on the trends of the proportion of malaria infections detected by routine passive case detection at health facilities is important for public health decision making especially in areas moving towards elimination. The objective was to assess nine years of trends on clinical malaria infections detected at health facility and its associated climate factors, in the water resource development set up of Wonji sugar estate, Oromia, Ethiopia. Retrospective data were collected from malaria-suspected patient recording logbook at Wonji sugar factory’s primary hospital. Monthly average meteorological data were obtained from the estate meteorological station. Data were collected from April through June 2018 and January 2022. The data were analyzed using Stata version 16.0 software for Chi-square and regression analysis. Over the last nine years, 34,388 cases were legible for analysis with complete data. Of these, 11.75% (4039/34388) were positive for clinical malaria. Plasmodium vivax test positivity was the highest proportion (8.2%, n = 2820) followed by Plasmodium falciparum (3.48%, n = 1197) and mixed infections (P. falciparum and P. vivax, 0.06%, n = 21). The odds of being positive for malaria was highest in males (AOR = 1.46; 95%CI = 1.36–1.52; P < 0.001) compared to females and in older individuals of above 15 years old (AOR = 4.55, 95%CI = 4.01–5.17, P < 0.001) followed by school-aged children (5–15 years old) (AOR = 2.16; 95%CI = 1.88–2.49, P < 0.001). There was no significant variation in the proportion of malaria-positive cases in the dry and wet seasons (P = 0.059). Malaria test positivity rates were associated with average monthly rainfall (AdjIRR = 1.00; 95%CI = 1.00–1.001, P < 0.001) while negatively associated with average monthly minim temperature (adjIRR = 0.94; 95%CI = 0.94–0.95; P < 0.001) and average monthly relative humidity (adjIRR = 0.99, 95%CI = 0.99–1.00, P = 0.023). There was year-round malaria transmission, adults especially males and school children frequently tested malaria positive. Hence, alternative vector management tools like larval source management have to be deployed besides ITNs and IRS in such water development areas to achieve the malaria elimination goal.
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The raw data used for this study are available from the corresponding author up on reasonable request.
Change history
11 August 2023
A Correction to this paper has been published: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-023-07938-9
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Acknowledgements
We are grateful to all staff members of Wonji Sugar estate’s: Primary Hospital and Metrology office for providing us with valuable data in realizing this study. We are so grateful for all the data collectors. Finally, Mr. Gezahgn Negash deserves appreciation for mapping the study site.
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Addis Ababa and Dilla University have financially supported the study.
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KL conceived the study design, undertook the field study, analyzed the data, and drafted the manuscript. EH took part in data analysis and manuscript preparation. DB participated in study design and manuscript revision. SD involved in the study design, revision of the manuscript, and facilitation of administrative issues. All authors read the manuscript.
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Ethical clearances were obtained from Addis Ababa University, Aklilu Lemma Institute of Pathobiology, Institutional Review Board (IRB) (reference number: ALIPB/IRB/012/2017/2018) and from Oromia Regional Health Bureau Ethical Clearance Committee (reference number: BEFO/DBTHL/1–8/422).
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Lelisa, K., Hailemeskel, E., Bekele, D. et al. Malaria positivity rate trend analysis at water resources development project of Wonji Sugar Estate Oromia, Ethiopia. Parasitol Res 122, 2259–2266 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-023-07923-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-023-07923-2