Browsing by Author "Bereka Degifie"

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    Prevalence of Malaria among Patients Attending Wolkite Health Center, South-Central Ethiopia
    (Addis Ababa University, 2017-09) Bereka Degifie; Mamo Hassen (PhD)
    Following reports on decreases in malaria cases and deaths recently many countries embarked on malaria elimination and some even succeeded in doing so. Ethiopia is following suit and aims to eliminate the disease in certain localities by 2020. To meet this goal continuous evaluation of malaria-situation nationwide is necessary. This study is part of such an effort. The study assessed the current status and recent past malaria trend in Wok'ite town and its environs, south-central Ethiopia. Finger-prick blood samples were collected from malaria suspected patients visiting Wok'ite Health Center between September 2016 and January 2017 smears were prepared, Giemsa-stained and examined. Retrospective data (2012 - January 2017) in the Health Center was also extracted. Descriptive statistics was used to analyze the data. Out of 16,573 smears screened in the current cross-sectional 1272(7.8%) were positive with 446(35.0%) and 826(65.0%) of the cases attributed to Plasmodium falciparum and P. vivax respectively. All cases were monoinfections. In the past five-and-half years 32,619 malaria-slide-confirmed cases were recorded (36.02% P. falciparum, 63.98% P. vivax). Total number of febrile patients examined in the years was missing in the health record system and estimation of malaria prevalence during the target period was not possible. Malaria was rising the first two successive years and then started declining continuously. However, control measures must be upgraded and closer surveillance be in place to achieve the malaria elimination target. Keywords: Malaria, Plasmodium, Wolk'ite, Cross-sectional, Elimination