Abstract

EPIDEMIOLOGY AND FACTORS OF MALARIA IN GHEBAISH TOWN, WEST KORDOFAN STATE, SUDAN. AN INSTITUTIONAL CROSS-SECTIONAL DESCRIPTIVE STUDY

Hassan Yousif Adam Regal*, Halima B. G. Tigaidi, Nosiba Altaybe Suliman Hussain, Musa Adam Osman Mohammed, Kubra A. E. Hammad

Abstract

Background: Malaria remains one of the most important public health challenges in Sudan, particularly in endemic regions where environmental and socioeconomic factors favor continuous transmission. Objective: To determine the epidemiological patterns and associated risk factors of malaria among patients attending Ghebaish Hospital, West Kordofan State, Sudan. Methods: An institutional-based descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in Ghebaish Town, West Kordofan State, Sudan, from December 2024 to February 2025. A total of 102 patients clinically suspected of malaria and attending or admitted to Ghebaish Hospital were enrolled. Sociode mographic and environmental data were collected using a structured questionnaire. Blood samples were obtained and examined microscopically using Giemsa-stained thick and thin blood films for malaria parasite detection and species identification. Data were analyzed using SPSS software. Associations between malaria infection and potential risk factors were assessed using odds ratios (ORs), 95% confidence intervals (CIs), and Chi-square tests, with statistical significance set at p < 0.05. Results: Plasmodium falciparum was the predominant species, accounting for 77.5% (79/102) of infections, followed by Plasmodium vivax (22.5%; 23/102). The highest proportions of participants were observed among the age groups 1–17 years and >33 years (28.4% each). Males constituted 52.9% of participants, while 61.8% resided in urban areas. Significant associations were found between malaria occurrence and age group, gender (OR=1.920; 95% CI: 1.464–2.519), residence (OR=1.575; 95% CI: 1.306–1.899), presence of water storage containers (OR=0.060; 95% CI: 0.025–0.139), and trees or grasses surrounding households (OR=1.451; 95% CI: 1.245–1.691) (p

Keywords: Malaria, Epidemiology, Risk Factors, P. falciparum, P. vivax, Sudan, West Kordofa.