International Journal of Pregnancy and Childbirth (IJPC) ISSN 7853-2108, Vol. 2(1), pp. 008-016, April, 2021.  © Advanced Scholars Journals 

Full length Research paper

Knowledge, risk factors and prevalence of Malaria in pregnancy among women attending antenatal clinics in Uyo Metropolis Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria

Usip LPE ^1* Okonkwo IG²_, Ubulom PE¹_, BASSEY EB¹, Adam EG¹ and Okoro MF¹

^*1Department of animal and Environmental Biology, University of Uyo, Uyo, Nigeria

²The centre for Wetlands and waste management studies, University of Uyo, Uyo, Nigeria

³Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, University of Calabar, Calabar, Nigeria 

*Corresponding Author’s Email: [email protected]

Accepted 23 July,  2020.

Abstract 

 The study was descriptive and cross-sectional and the sampling was conducted between January, and June, 2017. The aim was to assess the knowledge, risk factors and prevalence of malaria infection among pregnant women attending antenatal clinic at University of Uyo Teaching Hospital and Saint Luke’s General Hospital, Annua. Pregnant women were systematically selected from a number of women who attended the antenatal clinics of these two randomly selected tertiary hospitals. The sample population was selected irrespective of age, marital status, parity, occupation and level of educational as well as cultural and religions beliefs. World Health Organisation structured questionnaire was used for data collection. Blood samples were collected and examined by thin and thick by smears. Out of the 504 randomly selected, pregnant women who completely filed the questionnaires, a total of 500 subjects voluntarily participated in parasitological investigation. The result indicates that majority of the women 310 (61.5%) knows mosquito as the causes of malaria, 365 (72.42%) identified fever as the major symptom of malaria, 390 (77.38%) agreed on the use of insecticide treated bed net as the method of control of malaria. The prevalence of malaria in the study was 164 (32.8%), and varies gradually among the age group, education level and by gravidity. Malaria is still a public health challenge that needs much enlightenment campaign on its prevention and control in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria.

Keywords: Malaria Knowledge, Prevalence, Pregnant Women, Anti-Natal Clinics