ABSTRACT

A study of the prevalence of malaria and HIV screening status of pregnant women was done among pregnant women attending antenatal clinics at Amawom and Ndoro health centres in Ikwuano Local Government Area, Abia State. A total of 150 pregnant women who gave their consent to be part of the study had their blood samples examined for the presence of malaria parasite and HIV infection. Malaria parasites were examined using thick and thin Giemsa stained blood films while HIV screening was done using Determine HIV 1/2 and Unigold Kits. Out of this number, (92.00%) were positive for malaria, while (5.33%) were sero-positive for HIV 1 and 2 and (2.67%) fell within the indeterminate group for HIV. Malaria-HIV co-infection stood at (10.00%). Women within the age group 27 -- 31 years recorded the highest prevalence of malaria (98.4%) while HIV was also highest in the age group of 27-31 years (6.56%). All the blood groups A, B, AB, 0 had high prevalence's of malaria but blood group AB recorded the highest prevalence of 100% but had no HIV case. The HJV cases fell within the blood groups A (4.88%), B (8.82%) and 0 (4.29%). Genotype AA recorded the highest prevalence's of malaria infection (92.78%) and HIV cases. Malaria infection was highest in the pregnant women in the second trimester (93.99%) and secundigravidae (95.45%). The most common I possible cause of malaria reported was mosquito bites (76.67%) while that of J-IIV was the sharing of shaving sticks and clippers (64.0%). Some reported symptoms associated with malaria were headache (26.6%), fever (13.33%), loss of appetite (13.33%), weakness of the body (12.0%) while some symptoms of HIV were continuous fever (42.0%), body weakness (16.0%) and cough (13.33%). Preventive measures against HIV infection were not sharing needles and syringes (36.0%0, use of condom (42.67%) and for malaria, were use of mosquito nets (14.0%) and anti-malarial drugs (80.67%). Major sources of information for HIV and malaria were radio (45.33%) and television (30.0%).