Hailu, Asrat (PhD)Solomon, Gezahegn (PhD)Alemu, YonasGeremew, Efrem2026-01-302026-01-302025-05https://etd.aau.edu.et/handle/123456789/7614Background: Malaria remains a significant global challenge in terms of health and economic impact, particularly in Ethiopia, where it poses serious risks to military personnel. The disease significantly affects soldiers, leading to illness and fatalities that impede military operations, recognizing the role of both asymptomatic and symptomatic soldiers in malaria-prone military settings is essential for effective control and prevention of disease transmission. Objective: To assess the magnitude of asymptomatic and symptomatic malaria and contributing factors among military personnel in the Bilate Commando and Airborne training center. Methods: A facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted in May and June 2024, involving 403 military personnel. Data were gathered using semi-structured questionnaires, along with finger prick blood samples for parasite detection through microscopy, RDTs, and qPCR analysis. Data entry and analysis were performed using Epi Info 3.1 and SPSS version 27. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression was utilized to explore the relationship between outcome and predictor variables, supported by descriptive statistics. A p-value of < 0.05 was deemed statistically significant. Result: The study involved 403 soldiers, and identified an overall magnitude rate of 37% (149/403), with nearly equal distribution of P. falciparum at 45.6% (68/149) and P. vivax accounted for 44.3% (66/149). Among the 293 asymptomatic soldiers, prevalence rates were 18.1%, 17.7%, and 45.1% using microscopy, RDTs, and qPCR respectively. In contrast, the 110 symptomatic soldiers showed higher prevalence rates of 64.5%, 60.9%, and 87.2% by microscopy, RDTs, and qPCR respectively. The geometric mean parasite density was 101,531 copies/μl by qPCR and 24,378 asexual parasites/μl by microscopy. Significant risk factors for malaria infection included a previous history of malaria (AOR=0.508, 95% CI=0.317-0.813) and receiving educational messages regarding malaria (AOR=3.385, 95% CI: 1.433-7.995), both statistically significant at P < 0.05. Additionally, there was almost perfect concordance between RDT and microscopy results. Conclusion: The study identified high malaria rates among soldiers in military camps, suggesting these sites as transmission hotspots. It recommends including military camps in the national surveillance system to enhance tracking of infection trendsen-USAsymptomatic malariaSymptomatic malariaMilitary personnelEthiopiaBarrackThesis