Malaria and Intestinal Helminth Co-infection Among Pregnant Women in Ghana: Prevalence and Risk Factors

Abstract. Both malaria and intestinal helminths are endemic in sub-Saharan Africa, and their co-infection occurs commonly. This cross-sectional study assessed the prevalence of malaria and intestinal helminth co-infection in a sample of> 700 pregnant women in Ghana and identified risk factors for co-infection. The prevalence of malaria infec-tion, intestinal helminth infection(s), and co-infection was 36.3%, 25.7%, and 16.6%, respectively. Women with intesti-nal helminth infection(s) were 4.8 times more likely to have malaria infection. Young age, low income, being single, and being primigravid were each associated with increased odds of co-infection. These associations were present when assessed separately for primi- and multigravid women, but the strength of associations varied considerably for the tw