SEVERE MALARIA IN CHILDREN ADMITTED IN THREE HEALTH FACILITIES IN THE BAMENDA HEALTH DISTRICT, NORTH WEST REGION OF CAMEROON

Abstract

Introduction: Malaria is a life-threatening disease caused by parasites of genus Plasmodium. It is transmitted to people through
the bite of infected female Anopheles mosquito. In Cameroon, it accounts for 25.8% of consultations in 2021, including 31.5% in
children under 5, and 14.3% of deaths. The objective was to determine the epidemiological, clinical, hematological features and
outcome of severe malaria in children admitted in the Bamenda Health District.

Materials and methods: We consecutively recruited from 1st March to 30th June 2021. Children from 3 months to 15 years admitted in 3 randomly selected hospitals (Regional Hospital Bamenda, Nkwen District Hospital, and Nkwen Baptist Health Centre), in the Bamenda health district, and presenting with one or more signs of severity of malaria and conrmed by malaria Rapid Diagnostic Test
(RDT) and/or Thick blood smear (TBS) were enrolled in this study.

Results: Two hundred and seventeen (217) children out of 990 consulted, were admitted for severe malaria in the three health
facilities; making a global prevalence of 21.91%. Males were the most represented with sex ratio of 1.5. The mean age was 69.5±
52.09 months (5.79 years). The most frequent clinical features of severity were prostration (57.60%), persistent vomiting (36.41%)
and hyperpyrexia (32.72%). TBS and RDT were positive (90.50% and 96.77% of cases respectively). Ninety-eight percent of cases
had a favourable outcome, lethality rate was 1.38% and no child developed neurologic sequelae. The deaths were due to post-ictal
coma, severe anaemia and renal failure.

Conclusion: Severe malaria was found to affects mostly children under 5 years, with highest transmission being during rainy saison.