Malaria and Human Immunodeficiency Virus among Women Attending a Postnatal Clinic in Kenya

摘要

HIV reduces immunity leading to more frequent, prolonged and severe infections, while the effect of malaria enhances the progression of HIV to full-blown AIDS. Nyanza Province has a high HIV prevalence rate of 20 - 30%, and is also holoendemic for Plasmodium falciparum malaria transmission. These two diseases may be a major public health problem to postnatal women because there may still be an increased risk of malaria just like the pregnant period. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of malaria among HIV positive and negative postnatal women attending Maternal and Child Health (MCH) clinic at a Health Centre in Kisumu, Nyanza Province. This was a cross-sectional study using simple random sampling to select 195 consenting post natal women. Semi structured questionnaires were used to elicit responses on demographic characteristics and mosquito bites prevention methods. Malaria parasite identification, HIV and haemoglobin (Hb) levels were determined by Field stain microscopy, Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA), and cyanmethaemoglobin Hb estimation technique respectively. Data was analyzed by Chi square, Fisher’s t-test and multiple logistic regression. Fifty (25.6%) women were positive for HIV and 27 (13.8%) for Plasmodium falciparum malaria. HIV positive women had a significantly higher prevalence of malaria than those HIV negative (30% vs 8.3%, OR = 4.75, 95% CI = 2.039 – 11.063, p =0.001). Those HIV positive with malaria had the lowest mean Hb level of 9.1 ± 1.2 g/dl. Mosquito bite prevention significantly reduced the prevalence of malaria irrespective of HIV status (p = 0.001). In conclusion, HIV infection was associated with increased prevalence of malaria and anaemia. More efforts to prevent malaria among HIV positive postnatal women may be an important intervention to reduce dual infections.