Abstract

World Health Organization (WHO) defines malaria as a life-threatening parasitic disease caused by a bite of an infected
Anopheles mosquito. Malaria can kill within 24 hours of the onset of symptoms and whereas it affects all the people,
most affected are children under the age of 5 years. Malaria is the most killer parasitic disease globally that affects mainly
children less than 5 years old because of their low immunity. This study was aimed at determining the factors influencing
the prevalence of malaria in children below the age of 5 years in Hoima Regional Referral Hospital, Hoima District,
Uganda. This was a descriptive cross-sectional study of the outpatient department of the Hoima Regional Referral
Hospital. Simple random sampling was used to get the study participants (caretakers of children under five years of age
with their children). Data was collected using an interview questionnaire and children were tested for malaria using
microscopy and MRDT. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 20.00. The prevalence of malaria in under five years was
found to be 48.6 %. The environmental factors were associated with the occurrence of malaria in under five years. The
prevalence of malaria in under five years was high and garbage heaps in the environment were significantly associated
with its occurrence