A baseline epidemiological survey for malaria and schistosomiasis reveals an alarming burden in primary schools despite ongoing control in Chikwawa District, southern Malawi

Chiepa, Blessings, Mbewe, Rex, Stanton, Michelle ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1754-4894, Kapumba, Blessings, Kambewa, Eggrey, Kaunga, Lucy, Chiphwanya, John, Mzilahowa, Themba, Jones, Chris ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6504-6224 and Stothard, Russell ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9370-3420 (2024) 'A baseline epidemiological survey for malaria and schistosomiasis reveals an alarming burden in primary schools despite ongoing control in Chikwawa District, southern Malawi'. Current Research in Parasitology and Vector-Borne Diseases, Vol 5, e100183.

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Abstract

Our study rationale was to establish contemporary epidemiological data on malaria and schistosomiasis among school-going children in Chikwawa District before future environmental changes associated with the Shire Valley Transformation Programme occurred. Our cross-sectional surveys tested 1134 children from 21 government-owned primary schools (approximately 50 children per school); rapid diagnostic tests for malaria (Humasis Pf/PAN) and intestinal schistosomiasis (urine-Circulating Cathodic Antigen) were used, with urine reagents strips and egg-filtration with microscopy for urogenital schistosomiasis. All infected children were treated with an appropriate dose of Lonart® (for malaria) and/or Cesol® (for schistosomiasis). Across 21 schools the overall prevalence was 9.7% (95% CI: 8.8–10.6%) for malaria, 1.9% (95% CI: 1.4–2.3%) for intestinal schistosomiasis, and 35.0% (95% CI: 33.6–36.5%) for egg-patent urogenital schistosomiasis. The prevalence of co-infection of malaria with urogenital schistosomiasis was 5.5% (95% CI: 4.8–6.2%). In a third of the schools, the prevalence of malaria and urogenital schistosomiasis was above national averages of 10.5% and 40–50%, respectively, with two schools having maxima of 36.8% and 84.5%, respectively. Set against a background of ongoing control, our study has revealed an alarming burden of malaria and schistosomiasis in southern Malawi. These findings call for an immediate mitigating response that significantly bolsters current control interventions to better safeguard children's future health.

Item Type:	Article
Subjects:	WA Public Health > Preventive Medicine > WA 110 Prevention and control of communicable diseases. Transmission of infectious diseases WC Communicable Diseases > WC 20 Research (General) WC Communicable Diseases > Tropical and Parasitic Diseases > WC 680 Tropical diseases (General) WC Communicable Diseases > Tropical and Parasitic Diseases > WC 750 Malaria WC Communicable Diseases > Tropical and Parasitic Diseases > WC 810 Schistosomiasis
Faculty: Department:	Biological Sciences > Vector Biology Department
Digital Object Identifer (DOI):	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crpvbd.2024.100183
SWORD Depositor:	JISC Pubrouter
Depositing User:	JISC Pubrouter
Date Deposited:	26 Jun 2024 13:34
Last Modified:	26 Jun 2024 13:34
URI:	https://archive.lstmed.ac.uk/id/eprint/24766

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