Abstract Background Malaria remains a significant public health concern, disproportionately impacting vulnerable populations in resource-limited settings. Methods A study conducted in Nkanu West Local Government Area examined malaria prevalence and related anemia among children aged 6–10 years and pregnant women attending a hospital. The research employed a cross-sectional, hospital-based design, using both microscopy and rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) to evaluate malaria cases. Microscopy enabled detailed detection of parasites, while RDTs provided quick and supplementary diagnostics. Result This study revealed an alarming malaria prevalence of 70.3% in children and 65.5% in pregnant women. Microscopy prevalence slightly increased with age (r = 0.118, p < 0.05), while RDT decreased (r=-0.157, p < 0.01). Among 10-year-olds and above, females had a significantly higher prevalence (78.5%) than males (55.2%) (χ²=7.576, p < 0.05). There were significant differences in prevalence by sex (p = 0.005), but not by age (p = 0.400) and location (p = 0.228) among children. Among pregnant women, no significant differences were found concerning age, trimester, or location. Malaria was linked to increased packed cell volume, especially in women in their third trimester, indicating hematological impact. Mean PCV of children with malaria varies significantly by age, with 5–9 year-olds having a higher mean PCV (37.65 ± 0.90%) than other age groups (t = 2.434, p = 0.059). Conclusion Malaria remains a threat to children and pregnant women, requiring ongoing monitoring, community awareness, routine testing, and sanitation, especially during antenatal care.
Nwankwocha et al. (Tue,) studied this question.