Abstract

Malaria is an acute and chronic illness characterized by paroxysms of fever, chills, sweats,
fatigue, anaemia, and splenomegaly and is caused by parasite protozoan of the genus
Plasmodium. Malaria remains one of the most severe public health problems globally. It is
the leading cause of death and disease in many developing countries including Uganda,
where children under 5 and pregnant mothers are the most affected. The main objective of
this study was to determine the prevalence and factors associated with malaria amongst
pregnant women attending Hoima Regional Referral Hospital Antenatal Clinic. The study was
a quantitative descriptive type. Pregnant women who came for routine antenatal care visits
during the months of January and February 2021 had their capillary blood samples collected.
Smears, both thick and thin were made and stained using Field’s staining technique. These
were examined for malaria parasites using a light microscope. The study highlighted that
malaria among pregnant women in Hoima Regional Referral Hospital is high and therefore
put the life of mothers and unborn children at risk (18.5%). The socio-demographic
determinants that were found to be predictive of malaria acquisition were level of education,
marital status, and number of household members. It was also 4 times more likely that
participants who were buying mosquito nets were likely to have malaria than those who were
getting them from the government [95% CI 1.32-10.60: P=0.013]. The Ministry of Health needs
to sensitize the communities to the importance of mosquito nets. The health care workers
need to inform the clients about the use of mosquito net services