Prevalence of Malaria Infection among Pregnant Women in Antenatal Care Units in Mogadishu, Somalia: Cross-Sectional Study Design

Kamal M. Samatar¹, Bilkheyr H. Mohamed¹, Nacimo D. Hassan¹, Shuceyb O. Dahir¹, Ghanem Mohammed Mahjaf², Mosab Nouraldein Mohammed Hamad^3*

¹Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Jamhuriya University of Science and Technology, Mogadishu, Somalia.

²Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Shendi University, Sudan.

³Assistant professor, Microbiology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Elsheikh Abdallah Elbadri University, Sudan.

*Corresponding author: mosab@eaeu.edu.sd

Abstract:

Background: Malaria is a potential risk during pregnancy. Maternal anemia, low birth weight, stillbirths, abortions, and maternal death are possible outcomes. Because pregnancy lowers a woman’s immunity, it increases her susceptibility to malaria, which is why pregnant women are more vulnerable to the disease. Objective: This study aimed to assess the frequency, associated factors, and knowledge of pregnant women in Mogadishu to prevent the transmission from the mother to her fetus. Materials and Methods: Between November 2021 and July 2022, a descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out at Mogadishu, Somalia’s antenatal care units. Pregnant women’s sociodemographic information, related factors, and knowledge of malaria were gathered using a standardized questionnaire. The author-guided self-administered data collection technique was used, and SPSS version 21 and StataIC12 were utilized to analyze the data. Results: A total of 300 pregnant women took part in the study. The mean age of participants was 25 years (the minimum value was 14 years and the maximum value was 40 years), and the highest age was 121 (43.6%), aged between 30 and 40, followed by 100 (31.5%), aged between 21 and 30, and 79 (24.9%), which implies the highest age is 31 to 40. The majority of pregnant women, 150 (48.4%), had the first trimester, 95 (30.6%), had the second trimester, and 55 (21.4%) had the third trimester. 211 pregnant women (70%) had good knowledge regarding malaria in pregnant women, while 89 of them (30%) had poor knowledge. Conclusions: Pregnant women continue to face a serious public health risk from malaria, primarily as a result of illiteracy and noncompliance with ITN use. Raising knowledge of malaria prevention strategies and early prenatal care service attendance will contribute to a decrease in malaria and the resulting morbidities and fatalities.

Keywords: Prevalence, P. falciparum, Malaria, Pregnant women, awareness.