The distribution and magnitude of malaria in Oromia, Ethiopia

Authors

  • Wakgari Deressa ,
  • Shelleme Chibsa2
  • Dereje Olana2

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 19952000 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]

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Published

2017-01-04

How to Cite

Deressa , W., Chibsa2, S., & Olana2, D. (2017). The distribution and magnitude of malaria in Oromia, Ethiopia. The Ethiopian Journal of Health Development, 18(3). Retrieved from https://ejhd.org/index.php/ejhd/article/view/693