Abstract

Malaria and pregnancy are mutually aggravating conditions, with pregnancy reducing
immunity to malaria, making pregnant women more susceptible to infection. In sub-
Saharan Africa, malaria affects 24 million pregnant women, with the region accounting for
90% of all deaths. A study aimed to determine the prevalence and risk factors associated
with malaria infection among pregnant women attending antenatal care at Kampala
International University Teaching Hospital (KIU-TH). The study found a 4.1% prevalence of
malaria among the 241 pregnant women, with factors such as young age, urban residency,
unemployment, low education, lower gravidity, less or equal to three ANC visits, non-usage
of ITNs, and not taking intermittent preventive treatment (IPT) as major risk factors. The
malaria prevalence was low among the pregnant women studied, suggesting the need for
strengthening the use of intermittent preventive treatment and ITNs among all pregnant
women.