FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH MALARIA IN PREGNANCY AMONG MOTHERS WHO RECEIVED SULFADOXINE – PYRIMETHAMINE INTERVENTION AT JOOTRH, KISUMU COUNTY, KENYA.

Abstract

Malaria remains a public health concern in endemic regions of the Sub-Saharan Africa. As a global strategy for malaria control and prevention, Kenya Ministry of Health (MOH) recommends that pregnant women from malaria endemic regions should receive at least three doses of IPTp-SP. Despite this strategy in place, cases of malaria in pregnant women who have received this optimal dose is still on the rise. Therefore, this study sought to determine the prevalence and factors associated with malaria in pregnancy among mothers receiving ANC visits at KCRH. Cross sectional descriptive studies was adopted with structured questionnaire used to obtain information from 157 respondents sampled through simple randomization. Additionally, the ANC booklet was used to ascertain the information provided such as parity and SP received doses. The study finding revealed that 99 respondents (63.05%) had malaria in pregnancy. The study findings revealed that the prevalence of malaria infection was higher in women aged 25 -34 years (50.51%; n=50) as compared to those aged above 34 years (28.28%: n = 28). Education level significantly influenced preventive practices with tertiary-education (n=46) predominate .Residential factors such as rural living conditions and proximity to mosquito breeding sites significantly increased malaria risk with 50.96% residing over 500m away from hospital . Regular attendance at antenatal care services correlated with better adherence to preventive treatments and health education interventions (80% adherence rate among women attending ANC). Hospital-based treatment seeking was high (80%) with 18% who bought drugs from chemist and 1% herbal use. 72.73 % (n=77) of mothers who had MIP did not know the recommended doses of IPTp-SP. In conclusion, age, education level, ANC attendance, place of residence and health education were identified as most significant factors associated with MIP. These findings emphasize the need for targeted interventions addressing socio-demographic disparities and improving healthcare access and education to reduce MIP incidence effectively. The study recommends strengthening of interventions, such as improving education on malaria prevention, enhancing healthcare access, and addressing environmental conditions, to reduce malaria incidence and improve maternal and fetal health outcomes.