ABSTRACT
Fever as a predictor of malaria infection was investigated in people attending kofai phcc in Ardo-Kola LGA, Taraba State. To do this, four research questions were developed. In this study, the survey design was used, as well as simple random sample procedures. In kofai phcc, Ardo-Kola LGA Taraba State, the population size consists of selected personnel and patients. The researcher readily chose 77 inhabitants for the sample size, while 60 were returned and validated. Data was collected using a questionnaire that was self-created and validated. The standard deviation was used to assess the questionnaires that had been collected and validated.
Mosquito bites, temperature and precipitation, Malaria vectors, Pollutants, Blood Transfusion, and Immune System Deficiency are among the leading causes of malaria among adults in Nigeria, according to the data.
According to the findings, non-governmental organizations (NGO) should completely participate in local enlightenment campaigns, and road, gutter, and drainage cleaning should be encouraged to prevent the spread of malaria. Adults should also make an effort to use insecticides in their homes to avoid mosquito bites.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Malaria is a parasite disease spread by female Anopheles mosquitoes that can be fatal. Malaria is responsible for around 60% of out-patient visits to health institutions in Nigeria, 30% of youth deaths, 25% of deaths in children under the age of one year, and 11% of maternal deaths (National Population Commission, 2008; Noland et al., 2014). Similarly, malaria affects over 70% of pregnant women, contributing to anemia, low birth weight, stillbirths, abortions, and other pregnancy-related problems (Federal Ministry of Health Abuja, 2005).
Malaria is still one of the world’s most serious threats to tropical regions. It is a disease that kills and disables people in endemic areas of Africa, affecting their physical and economic well-being (WHO, 2008). Malaria has been the subject of numerous announcements and a number of targets have been set since the millennium began (WHO, 2015). Malaria accounts for 30 percent of all outpatient clinic visits in Africa’s malaria-endemic countries (Roll Back Malaria, 2008). Malaria is responsible for 20 percent to 50 percent of all hospital admissions in these same nations (Roll Back Malaria Partnership, 2013). Malaria is a major cause of death among hospital inpatients in Africa, with high case fatality rates due to late presentation, insufficient management, and a lack of or stock-outs of effective medications (Roll Back Malaria Partnership, 2013). People are more likely to become infected with malaria, as well as to become infected more frequently (Roll Back Malaria Partnership, 2013). In Nigeria, the population at high risk of malaria is projected to be 135,552,389 people (WHO, 2015). As of 2015, the country’s confirmed and suspected Malaria cases totaled 19,555,575 people (WHO, 2015), with adults accounting for nearly 28% of the casualties. Malaria is one of the vector-borne diseases that is affected by seasonal or spatial variations in the environment (Messina et al., 2011). Rainfall, low height, and high temperatures, as well as the presence of shrubs and stagnant water around dwellings, encourage the breeding of malaria vectors and parasite replication within them (Messina et al., 2011). As a result, malaria has been classified as an environmental illness (Hay et al., 2000). The key to solving the problem of malaria parasite prevalence reduction is a proactive approach. Tropical areas, such as Nigeria, provide the ideal combination of rainfall, temperature, and humidity for anopheles mosquito development and survival (Efe and Ojoh, 2013). An rise in rainfall and warmth encourages mosquito development and improves mosquito breeding locations, resulting in an increase in malaria cases (Vincent and Sunday, 2015). Rainfall offers mosquito breeding places and raises the relative humidity required for mosquito survival, resulting in an increase in the number of mosquitos biting a person per unit time (Lindsay and Martens, 1998). The possibility of an adult mosquito surviving is determined by the ambient temperature, humidity, and rainfall. Warmer ambient temperatures reduce the extrinsic cycle’s duration, increasing the likelihood of transmission (Jackson and Yang, 2010). The epidemic of malaria has drawn the attention of both local and international authorities. Several methods have been implemented to lower the rate of malaria-related morbidity. Climate factors are thought to have changed dramatically over the last two/three decades (Akinbobola and Oluleye, 2010). As a result, it’s critical to have a better understanding of environmental variables that favor mosquito vector life cycles in order to target control efforts specifically at adults. Modeling environmental variables is quite useful in identifying malaria transmission foci. Environmental variables generated by remote sensing satellite sensors and captured by Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for spatial and temporal environmental analysis have become more accessible thanks to the development of spatial analytical techniques (Tanser and Le Sueur, 2002; Thomas et al., 2003).
STATEMENT OF PROBLEM
Plasmodium falciparum causes malaria, and the mosquitoes Anopheles gambiae, Anopheles funestus, Anopheles arabiensis, and Anopheles moucheti are the main vectors that transmit the disease all year; the treatment regimen adopted in 2004 is artemether-lumefantrine (AL) or artesunate + amodiaquine (AS + AQ). Malaria is one of the world’s most serious public health challenges, especially in Africa, where Nigeria has the highest number of malaria cases.
Demographic, environmental, and socioeconomic factors are all major risk factors for malaria prevalence and transmission among adults in Nigeria. Age and gender are demographic determinants, while the presence or lack of bushes and woodlands that encourage mosquito breeding are environmental factors.
Meanwhile, meteorological conditions such as temperature, humidity, and rainfall may encourage mosquito vectors to proliferate and develop quickly.
Individuals must be aware of the signs and symptoms of malaria in order to properly treat and cure the disease. The presence of a fever is usually a symptom that one is suffering from malaria. Is a fever, on the other hand, necessarily indicative of malaria? This research aims to find out.
OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
The primary goal of this study is to see if fever can predict malaria infection in those who go to kofai phcc in Ardo-Kola LGA, Taraba State. This research will, in particular:
Examine the signs and symptoms of malaria infection in people attending the Kofai Primary Health Care Center in Ardo-Kola, Taraba State.
Determine the extent to which fever is a predictor of malaria infection in people attending the Kofai Primary Health Care Center in Ardo-Kola LGA, Taraba State.
Examine the causes of malaria infection in people attending kofai phcc in Taraba State’s Ardo-Kola LGA.
Examine whether fever is a predictor of other diseases in people attending kofai phcc in Taraba State’s Ardo-Kola LGA.
RESEARCH QUESTIONS
What are the signs and symptoms of malaria infection in people who go to the Kofai Primary Health Care Center in Ardo-Kola LGA, Taraba State?
To what extent is fever a predictor of malaria infection among people accessing the Kofai Primary Health Care Center in Ardo-Kola LGA, Taraba State?
What are the causes of malaria infection in people who go to the Kofai Primary Health Care Center in Ardo-Kola LGA, Taraba State?
Is fever a predictor of other diseases in people who go to the Kofai Primary Health Care Center in Ardo-Kola LGA, Taraba State?
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
The study will benefit all adults in Nigeria, as well as the general public, by exposing and enlightening them on the basics and general understanding of malaria, its causes, and the role of fever as a malaria infection predictor. Furthermore, this study will contribute to the body of current literature on the subject of concern, making it beneficial to researchers, medical and non-medical students, and other intellectuals interested in conducting research on a similar topic.
SCOPE OF THE STUDY
Fever as a predictor of malaria infection among people attending kofai phcc in Ardo-Kola LGA Taraba State will be the focus of this study. Examining the signs and symptoms of malaria infection among people attending kofai phcc in Ardo-Kola LGA Taraba State, determining the extent to which fever serves as a predictor for malaria infection among people attending kofai phcc in Ardo-Kola LGA Taraba State, examining the causes of malaria infection among people attending kofai phcc in Ardo-Kola LGA Taraba State, and
LIMITATION OF THE STUDY
There was some researcher bias present. The researcher had some biases, which may have shown up in the manner the data was gathered, the kind of people questioned or sampled, and how the data was evaluated afterward. It’s impossible to overestimate the impact of all of this on the findings and conclusions. Furthermore, the conclusions of this study only reflect the perceptions of the respondents, who were staff members of the study area’s selected hospitals; hence, the findings may not accurately reflect the genuine situation when compared to other people’s perceptions.
DEFINITION OF TERMS
Malaria is a serious and sometimes fatal disease caused by a parasite that is spread by a mosquito species that feeds on humans.
Fever is a high body temperature that is often accompanied by chills, headaches, and, in severe cases, delirium.
A predictor is a person or object who forecasts what will happen in the future or what will happen as a result of something.
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