Prevalence and associated factors of malaria among febrile children in Ethiopia: A cross-sectional health facility-based study.

Malaria is one of the most important public health problems in Ethiopia. The objective of this study was to identify the prevalence and associated factors of malaria among children who presented for investigation. A cross-sectional health facility-based study was conducted between October and November 2012 in East Shewa Zone of Oromia Regional Sate in Ethiopia. Blood samples by finger pricks were collected for microscopic diagnosis of malaria from children under the age of 16 years with symptoms suggestive of malaria attending five health centers. An interview was conducted with the parents/guardians of the children using a pre-tested structured questionnaire. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression was employed to study associations between malaria infection and associated factors. Of 830 children who provided blood samples, 170/830 (20.5%) were microscopically confirmed for malaria parasites. The predominant Plasmodium species were Plasmodium vivax (11.7%) and Plasmodium falciparum (8.4%), whilst mixed infections of both species were identified in 0.4% of patients (relative proportion: 57.1%, 41.2%, and 1.8%, respectively). Household's ownership of insecticide treated nets (ITNs) was significantly associated with decreased odds of malaria infection (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 0.69, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.56-0.85). However, an increased odds of malaria infection was observed among children between 10 and 15 years old (aOR: 2.19, 95% CI: 1.25-3.83) compared to children under the age of 2 years. The strong association reported here between household's ownership of ITNs and malaria infection among children in this part of Ethiopia call for continued efforts of net distribution and use to control malaria, which in turn might improve children's health and development.