Do environmental sanitation conditions affect malaria infection rates in children? A case study from Abuja, Nigeria.

Abstract

This research was done using multiple methods case study to determine if environmental sanitation conditions affect malaria infection rates in children of two communities; one urban area and one rural area. Fasari settlement in Kuje Area Council was the rural case study while Wuse zone 6-, Abuja was the urban case study. The specific aim of this research was to investigate the incidence of malaria in children under 5- in relation to environmental sanitation conditions in the two communities. Fasari and Wuse Zone 6- was used because of the different environmental conditions. The research was done within the months of February and April 2015, also the study made use of all available records at the Federal Staff Hospital, Abuja. Information was obtained from design questionnaire, a total of 50 cases notes were studied and analysed. My research didn’t specifically show that environmental sanitation is responsible for different malaria rates in the two study areas. This was because the respondents in Wuse Zone 6 were using prophylaxis for their children and the respondents in Fasari rural settlement had no records of malaria incidence of their children. Conclusively, malaria is a treatable ailment that continues to cause death to children under the age of five years. Environmental factors such as stagnant water, bushy environment and poor environmental sanitation play an important role in spreading the disease.