Study of malaria among children under 5 years old in Jafer Ibn Auf

Malaria is the major health problem in Sudan; it is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality. The malaria indicators Survey which in October 2005, appear that the mortality of malaria in Sudan in 2005 was 12.9-39% and 44-40.5 % of total death registered. And malaria is one the most of 10 disease of out patient clinic visits (Dr.Tarik, 2006). Estimates from previous studies in 2006 at Ibn Aff hospital for pediatric indicated the prevalence of malaria among children under five years of age was (19%) infection with malaria among the males (22.2%) and females (14%) (Manasik, 2006). The previous studies in2008 at Al Bashair hospital indicated the Epidemiology of malaria among under five was (39.9%). (Zeinab, 2008). The entire population of Sudan is at risk of malaria, although at different degrees. In the northern, eastern and western states, malaria is mainly low to moderate with predominantly seasonal transmission and epidemic out breaks. In southern Sudan, malaria is moderate to high or highly intense, generally with perennial transmission .P. falciparum is by far the predominant parasite species (WHO, 2003). In areas of stable malaria transmission very young children and pregnant women are the population groups at highest risk for malaria morbidity and mortality. Most children experience their first malaria infections during the first year or two of life, when they have not yet, acquired degut clinical immunity – which makes these early year particularly dangerous. Ninety percent of all malaria death in Africa occurs in young children (WHO-UNICEF-2003). 2 Malaria kills between 1.5 and 2.7million people annually and over a million of these death are in children below the age of 5 years although they also include many older children, malaria is often associated with other conditions, such as malnutrition, respiratory infection AIDS or tuberculosis (Snow Rw et al, 1997). In many part of Africa, young children experience several clinical attacks of malaria each year. Fortunately only small proportion of these attacks (1-2%) leads severe complecations.why some children infected with P.falcipaum developed a life –threatening illness whereas others experience only febrile illness is still not fully understood .parasite, host genetic and socioeconomic factors are all likely to have role .Deaths from severe malaria anemia are increasing because of drug resistance (Department of tropical diseases,2002)