The distribution and magnitude of malaria in Oromia, Ethiopia

Abstract

Abstract
Background: Health facility records are important sources of malaria data not only to describe disease patterns and
trends but also for planning malaria control and evaluating the impact of health interventions.
Objective: To assess the importance of health facility data and determine the distribution and magnitude of malaria on
the services of health care facilities by emphasizing on outpatient consultations.
Methods: A retrospective record review based on data routinely collected on malaria cases for five years from 1995-
2000 was conducted at all health care facilities in Oromia Regional State between March and May 2001.
Results: From a total of 190 weredas and 6,107 kebeles of the region, 172 (90.5%) weredas and 3,932 (64.4%) kebeles
were found to be partially or completely prove to malaria, with about 65% of the total population residing in these
areas. A total of 6,214,132 malaria cases were diagnosed and treated microscopically or clinically during 1995-2000
with an annual average of 1,242,826. The number of malaria cases showed a steep increase from 816,114 in 1995/6 to
2,020,308 in 1998/9, and then declined to 729,176 in 1999/2000. The total number of outpatients registered at all
health facilities during the period was 23,522,714, of which malaria cases accounted for 11.7%. The proportion of
malaria cases increased during the period, from 10.6% in 1995/6 to about 15% in 1998/9. The two most important
causes of malaria during the period were P. falciparum and P. vivax, comprising of 51.5% and 32.3% of the case
respectively. A significant number (16%) of microscopically confirmed malaria cases in hospitals and health centers
were not identified by Plasmodium species. The disease affected all age groups of the population.
Conclusion: The retrospective analysis of the health facility records revealed the heavy burden posed by malaria.
Thus, improving the quality of diagnosis and treatment at health care facilities would play an essential role in malaria
control. Strengthening the surveillance systems for generating reliable data would also help in reflecting the magnitude
of specific diseases burdening the health services. [Ethiop.J.Health Dev. 2004;18(3):164-170]