Prevalence of Malaria and Anemia Among Young Children in a Tertiary Hospital in Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria

We aimed to determine the prevalence of malaria and anemia among children ≤ 5 years old in Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria. We also assessed the effects of age and sex on disease prevalence. Blood samples were collected from 1325 children (744 males and 581 females) with signs and symptoms of malaria. Malaria parasitemia was diagnosed by microscopy, while anemia was defined as hemoglobin concentration < 11g/dL. Males had a significantly higher risk of malaria infection (odds ratio, OR, 1.399; 95% confidence interval, CI, 1.087–1.801, p < 0.009), while females had a significantly higher risk of anemia (OR, 2.711; 95% CI, 1.872–3.929; p < 0.001). Generally, age did not affect the prevalence of malaria—except among males, where children between 2-3 years old had a significantly (p = 0.006) higher prevalence. Generally and among males, age affected the prevalence of anemia with children 4–5 years old having significantly (p < 0.001) lower prevalence of anemia. Malaria was a risk factor for acquiring anemia (OR, 2.289; 95% CI, 1.630–3.214; p < 0.001). Overall prevalences of 75.77% and 87.32% for malaria and anemia, respectively, were observed. While malaria parasitemia was higher among males, anemia was higher in females. Malaria and anemia were affected by age only in males. Effective control measures against malaria are advocated.